Angels Deserve To Die
by x.Diamond-Mutant.x
Summary: In the event of his defeat, the Dark Lord ensured that there would be people still suffering once he was gone. Upon forcing Narcissa Malfoy and Mrs. Granger to make an unbreakable vow, the Dark Lord sealed the fate of two very different people. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy must set aside their differences and marry before the month is up, or suffer the consequences.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

She ran out of her parents house as fast as she could, ignoring their yells begging her to come back. Tears were streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall and she was unable to stop them. In moments she disapparated and found herself in the Forest of Dean. Snow covered the entire ground, crunching under her feet as she continued to run as fast as she could. Eventually she became too tired to carry on and fell to her knees, crying softly.

The news she'd just received from her parents moments ago had shattered her entire world. Just before the end of the war, Voldemort had found her parents and restored their memories. He'd threatened them, tortured them and just as they were on the brink of death, offered them a deal. Without thinking about it, they had accepted. They didn't want to die, they'd wanted to grow old together and watch their daughter grow too, maybe marry and have children. What they didn't realise was that their dreams were going to become part of the Dark Lord's plan. He'd known for a while that there was a chance he might be defeated by Harry Potter and he wanted to be prepared for it. He wanted to make sure the world was still suffering in his absence. So he took the Grangers to Malfoy Manner just hours before the final battle against Hogwarts. It was there he made Narcissa Malfoy and Mrs. Granger make an unbreakable vow that would change their lives forever. He made them promise that in the event of his death, they would have their oldest children marry when they were both twenty years old.

The Pure blood Slytherin: Draco Malfoy, and the Muggle born Gryffindor: Hermione Granger.

As to be expected, Lucius Malfoy was not too happy about it. When attempting to change the Dark Lord's mind, he only caused the vow to worsen. If the two were not wedded one month after the news was announced to them, both Narcissa and Mrs. Granger would die in the most painful and brutal way possible. And yet, Lucius still persisted to sway the Dark Lord's opinion. It was this final remark that brought the Dark Lord's deal to a close. He stated that neither could divorce from the marriage, nor seek intimacy from another. They were to be together for life, destined to corrupt, stain and end the Malfoy family's pure blood. It was then Lucius Malfoy didn't utter another word and the vow was sealed.

She, Hermione Granger, would have to be married to Draco Malfoy within the month or her mother would die. Her body was shaking from the shock and she was struggling to breathe. Trying to calm herself down soon proved futile as she fell down onto the cold, snowy ground. Panic filled her entire body as she desperately tried to fill her lungs with oxygen, but she just couldn't do it. Her vision soon started to become cloudy and her eyes became heavy. Within moments she'd succumbed and let herself slip into unconsciousness.

It could have been minutes or hours later when she regained consciousness, she had no idea which though, having being awoken by the sound of voices. She tried moving, but her body felt frozen. When trying to open her eyes, she discovered she was far too weak.

"Are you sure she's here?" A voice asked, female. She was relatively close, maybe a few meters away at most. Hermione tried calling out to her, but her lips wouldn't open.

"Yes, the Ministry tracked her here. She hasn't moved in a few hours." Another voice stated. Male. He sounded familiar, it was a voice she hadn't heard in years though.  
"Oh my god! There she is!" The female gasped and Hermione could hear the sound of footsteps running through the snow, getting closer to her by each passing second. She felt someone put their fingers on her throat, no doubt checking for a pulse.

"She's still alive, just." The male stated, then she felt something wrap around her. After that, her body was lifted up and she was being carried bridal style in someone's arms.

"Come on, lets get he back to the manor. Mum can take care of her there." The female ordered.

"What were you thinking Granger?" The male sighed, then she slipped back into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

It was quite some time before Hermione regained consciousness, at a state where she was fully in control of her own body. When she did open her eyes she found herself in a rather elegant looking room. Upon sitting up she discovered she was resting on a king sized, four poster bed made out of dark mahogany wood. The covers were a deep shade of green, made from what looked to be pure silk. The bed itself was slightly concealed by an alcove in the room, where everything above the torso would be hidden if you were laying down when someone entered the room. The bed itself was on the left side of the room, on the right side there was another alcove that lead to a doorway. She could vaguely see a balcony beyond it. At the back of the room there rested a large white marble fireplace. In front of it was a black leather arm chair, with a bookshelf resting in the far right corner of the room, a few feet away from the fireplace. Opposite the fireplace, at the front of the room, was the door which she presumed would allow her to leave the room and venture around the rest of the house. At the bottom of the bed rested an Ottoman. Sitting on top of it was a piece of clothing that had been folded up. She then noticed another door, on her right which she presumed led to an en suite bathroom. The walls were also green, a slightly lighter shade that the shade of the bed covers. The flooring was wooden, so dark in colour that it almost looked pitch black.

She looked down, noticing that her clothes had been removed and she was now in a white, almost see through, lace nightie that fell down to just below her knees. A huge blush formed across her cheeks when she realised that someone must have removed her clothing in order to get this on. Noticing her bra was also missing, her blushing brightened ten fold.

"Oh you're awake!" A voice gasped. The sudden presence of another person caused an embarrassing squeak of shock to leave Hermione's lips. Her eyes instantly went to the door where a young woman had just walked in. She had long platinum blonde hair that fell down past her shoulders, roughly reaching her hips. Her eyes were a pale blue, almost grey and her skin was as white as snow. She wore a emerald green dress that had a deep neckline and flared out towards the skirt. It stopped roughly at her ankles and had a black ribbon wrapped around the waist. It made her look very elegant and respectable for someone so young.

"W-Where am I?" Hermione asked.

"You're in Malfoy Manor. My brother and I found you in a forest, almost frozen to death. We brought you back here where our Mother tended to you and helped you get warm." The girl explained, sitting down on the Ottoman. Hermione paused for a moment, taking this information in. She was in Malfoy Manor, the same place where Draco lived. Draco Malfoy: the man she had to marry to save her Mother. Tears started forming in her eyes.

"Are you alright? Are you in any pain?" The woman asked, looking at Hermione in worry.

"N-No, I'm alright. I just...I received some upsetting news a few hours ago." Hermione sighed.

"I know, my brother isn't too happy about it either." The young woman mumbled.

"Wait, your brother? Draco is your brother?" Hermione asked, looking at the young woman. Now that she thought about it, she could see a huge resemblance between her and Draco. But she couldn't recall there being another Malfoy at Hogwarts.

"Yes. He's two years older than me. My Mother felt if we went to the same school it might distract us and affect our grades, so she sent me to Beauxbatons." The woman stated.

"Oh, I guess that's why I don't remember seeing you at Hogwarts. I-I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione introduced, offering her hand out to Draco's younger sister.

"I'm Flora. Nice to meet you Hermione. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'll let you get dressed. There's a bathroom through that door there if you want to freshen up. I'll come back in twenty minutes to get you." Flora smiled, shaking Hermione's hand politely then stood up then pointed to the door Hermione had thought might lead to a bathroom.

"Oh, thank you. Before you go, c-can I just ask you something?" Hermione asked.

"Of course." Flora nodded, waiting for Hermione to voice her question.

"W-Who changed me?" Hermione asked, feeling her cheeks turn bright red.

"My Mother. You don't need to be embarrassed." Flora stated softly, then left the room before Hermione could protest. Sighing softly she got up and picked up the piece of clothing that had been placed on the Ottoman. When examining it she noticed that it was an off the shoulder gown that had been divided into two sections. The top had a very similar design to a black corset, while the bottom was a dark red skirt that had the "poof" texture of a marshmallow. As soon as you pushed it down, it would spring right back up. Noticing there was nothing else to wear in the room, Hermione sighed and went into the bathroom, washing her face before struggling with the dress in an attempt to put it on. About ten minutes of fighting, Hermione finally managed to get the dress on. Looking in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed by her appearance. She felt as if she looked like an arrogant aristocrat.

 **. . . . . . .**

Flora returned just like she said she would, guiding Hermione down the many corridors and hallways of Malfoy Manor until they reached a dining room with a large table resting at the center. It was probably big enough for twenty people to sit at, however there were only five at the present time. The three Malfoys; Lucius, Narcissa and Draco, then her parents.

"Hermione! Never do that again! You had us worried sick!" Her Mother cried when she saw her daughter, running over to hug her tightly. Hermione tensed slightly, still unsure about how she felt around her parents at the current moment. On the one hand she loved them with all her heart and would protect them no matter what. Then again, they'd lied to her and not told her anything about the vow they'd made to the Malfoys and the Dark Lord. As if her Mother could sense her internal struggle, she let go of Hermione and sat back down in her seat.

"Miss Granger, if you'd like to sit down we can begin." Lucius requested, gesturing for her to sit down with his hand. She did so quietly, sitting between her Mother and Father. She noticed Flora sit down next to Draco, who was looking down at the table with a blank expression.

"First of all we want you both to know we are so sorry. If there had been a way to stop this we would have done so. We spent months trying to find a way to break the vow without risking any lives, but it was impossible." Narcissa stated, looking at Hermione and Draco with sympathy. Neither of the pair spoke, they simply nodded, understanding what Narcissa was saying. There was no possible way of stopping this, and they both knew that.

"Now, we are on a very limited schedule. As of today the month has begun, we have only twenty nine days left to organise the wedding. However, seeing as the pair of you will never be allowed to marry again, we are putting you both in charge of the important details. We'll be helping you every step of the way, but we want this to be a wedding you'll both enjoy rather than look back on in ten years and hate." Mrs. Granger added.

"There are companies on standby, waiting for you to contact them. We've had several things booked in advance, two years in advance to be precise. A catering company just needs to know what food you want, a band simply needs a list of music you'd like and a décor company has sent over a catalogue so you can look through and see what you like." Narcissa smiled.

"The wedding will take place here in Malfoy Manor. The gardens behind the house will provide an excellent location for the ceremony." Lucius said, putting his input into the conversation.

"Draco just needs to sort out his suit, his best men and a list of people he'd like to invite. The same goes for you Hermione, only with your dress, bridesmaids and friends you'd like to invite. The honeymoon location you can discuss together." Narcissa continued.

"We can discuss the rest of the details tomorrow. As of now, you'll be living here. Another wardrobe has been added to Draco's room to fit your clothes. Flora will go with you to get some new clothes tomorrow. But it's getting late. You and Draco should retire for the night. We'll see you tomorrow morning at eight for breakfast." Lucius instructed.

After bidding her parents goodnight, she followed Draco out of the dining room. She soon discovered that the room she'd woken up in earlier was in fact Draco's room. The young man in question had remained silent the entire time they were alone together. She wanted to ask him if he was alright, if he wanted to say anything but she felt it was better to keep her mouth shut. So the pair just stood there, in front of the bed, looking down at the floor nervously.  
"So...how do you want to do this?" Draco asked, breaking the rather awkward silence.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, looking up at him with confused eyes.

"Well, I don't want this to be anymore awkward than it already is. So we need to establish some ground rules. What side of the bed do you normally sleep on?" Draco asked.

"Right."

"Good, I sleep on the left. Naked or clothed?"  
"Jesus Christ Malfoy. Clothed." Hermione sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I guess that means I'm gonna have to put some clothes on now I'm sharing a bed with you."

"Yes it does! I'm not sharing a bed with you if you're naked!" Hermione scoffed.  
"Your loss. Do you normally read a book or drink something before bed?" Draco asked.  
"Why is that important?" Hermione sighed.

"Because if you're going to be sitting there with the light on while you turn the pages of a book, slurping some form of liquid, I'll know to go to bed earlier because I don't want to deal with that crap." Draco stated, folding his arms across his chest.

"I do my reading during the day. I'll take a glass of water to bed in case I get thirsty during the night but I don't drink it before bed." Hermione shrugged.

"That's actually a good idea. I might do that." Draco muttered.

"Anything else your highness?" Hermione growled.

"No, that's all for now." He smirked and removed his top right there and then, directly in front of her, revealing his pale but toned torso to her. She instantly averted her gaze, blushing brightly. When he noticed the pink on her cheeks, he chuckled softly and sat down on the bed. Ignoring his mockery, Hermione made her way to the en suite bathroom only to find the door was locked. She tried opening it again just to be sure, but the door wouldn't budge.  
"Malfoy, the door is locked." She stated, looking over at him to find he was only in his boxers.

"I know. I locked it." He shrugged, pulling back the covers and laid down in the bed.  
"Why?" Hermione asked, completely baffled as to why he would do such a thing.

"Because I knew you'd try to scuttle in there when getting changed so I couldn't see you naked. Since we're gonna get married, I think I deserve to see a bit of flesh." Draco smirked, resting his arms behind his head, looking over at her expectantly. What he didn't expect however was for Hermione Granger to storm over to him, lunge herself onto the bed and slap him across the face. However she soon realised she made a mistake when Draco got up and grabbed her ankles, attempting yanking her off the bed. She instantly grabbed one of the posts of the bed, gripping on for dear life and lashed out furiously in an attempt to pull her ankles away from him. He soon proved far too strong for her. With one hard tug, her hands slipped off the pole and she went flying back, colliding with his chest. His back hit the floor with a loud thump, causing him to groan in pain. Hermione however had a much softer landing which was Draco's chest. A smirk spread across his lips, then he grabbed her hips and held her in place.

"Draco let me go now!" Hermione snapped, struggling against him.

"No. You slapped me, so I'm getting my revenge." He stated, sitting up so she was sitting on his lap, then tugged her dress down before she could even protest. It was then she remembered her bra had disappeared into thin air, so she had nothing on underneath her dress. Nothing on the torso anyway. Her cheeks turned bright red when she noticed Draco's gaze move down slightly, then slapped him so hard he let her go. She instantly got up and hid under the covers, wrapping around them so tightly that if she squeezed any harder she'd turn into a diamond.

"I HATE YOU DRACO MALFOY!" She screamed, so loudly that everyone in the manor heard.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 _Day 2: 28 Days until the Wedding._

Having breakfast with the Malfoys was definitely an interesting experience. Each member of the family seemed to have a completely different approach to the first meal of the day. Lucius would sit at the head of the table, news paper in one hand while absently picking at his food with his fork that was being held in the other hand. Narcissa would eat her meal in silence, sitting in a very prim and proper manner, occasionally glancing around to see what everyone else was doing. Draco and Flora were the complete opposites to their parents. The two were quite loud and argumentative. They'd constantly debate over the most simplest of things. It seemed both Malfoy children had the trait of wanting to be right all the time. Hermione took up Narcissa's approach to breakfast and simply ate in silence.

"So, Hermione. Flora will be taking you out in an hour to go buy some new clothes. When you return we'll be talking about the wedding guests you'll want to be inviting." Narcissa stated. Hermione simply nodded, taking a sip of the orange juice that rested in her goblet. In truth she wasn't a huge fan of shopping, but if it meant getting along better with her future Mother-in-law, then it was most likely worth the effort. It was better to be on the Malfoys' good side.

"You and Draco also need to go through that décor catalogue today. I'll take you out into the Garden so you can see where the ceremony will take place after you've discussed the guest list with my wife." Lucius added, not looking up from his paper. Hermione nodded once again, not saying anything. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Lucius. Now the Dark Lord had been vanquished, he seemed a lot calmer and unlikely to be quick to anger. However she still didn't trust him completely. There was still a part of her that doubted his intentions.

"Oh, and you're going to have to let us know about any allergies you have so when we sort out the food there's no risk of you dying on us." Flora added, smiling brightly. Hermione simply stared at her for a few moments, then looked down at her food and nodded once more.

"Flora, do everyone a favour and shut up." Draco sighed.

"Draco, don't use that kind of language at the table." Narcissa ordered softly, though there was a definite air of authority to her voice as Draco instantly looked down and went mute.

When breakfast was finished Flora guided Hermione out of the manor where a young man was waiting for them. He was quite tall with a pale complexion, short locks of black hair and deep brown eyes. He was wearing a black suit and was standing beside a black Rolls Royce Phantom. Somehow she expected no less from the Malfoys. A refined and elegant car for a rich and refined family. They even had a blasted chauffeur to drive them around.

"Hermione, this is Anthony." Flora introduced, smiling brightly as she stood besides Anthony.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger. I've heard a lot about you from Master Malfoy." Anthony smiled, offering her his hand, which she took and gently shook, returning the smile.

"I doubt any of it was good." She scoffed.

"On the contrary, he'd often refer to you being the only student able to get better grades than him during Hogwarts. It infuriated him quite a great deal, but I could tell he had the highest respect for you and your intelligence." Anthony stated and opened the back seat door before Hermione could respond. Flora climbed in first, thanking Anthony politely, then Hermione shortly followed. The inside of the car was just as grand as the outside. There were four seats at the back, made from cream leather, paired up and facing opposite each other so the four passengers would be able to have a face to face conversation. There were two compartments in the car, fashioned from a mix of black leather and marble, one between the two pairs of seats that could be used for either arm rests or storage. She sat down on the seat opposite Flora, on the right hand side of the car so she was directly behind the driver's seat. Moments later, Anthony shut the door for them and walked around to the drivers door, opening it and then sat down in his respective seat, buckling himself in and shut the door.

"Where are we off to today ladies?" He asked, glancing back at them through the rear view mirror. Hermione had no idea, so remained silent. She figured it would be better to let Flora take control. She had a feeling Narcissa wouldn't be happy if Hermione returned with bags upon bags filled with jeans and casual tops. She'd sent Flora with her for a reason, to make sure she got smart and sophisticated clothing, such as dresses and ball gowns.

"J'Adore Boutique please Anthony." Flora smiled, to which Anthony nodded. He started the engine and then pulled out of the driveway, heading down a long path enveloped with trees.

"Was that true? What Anthony said about Draco?" Hermione whispered.

"Oh god yeah. Every holiday when we both came back home from school, all I'd hear was 'Hermione this' and 'Hermione that' and 'why can't she be dumb for once?'. He'd go on and on about how smart you were in Hogwarts, you were his only competition when it came to grades." Flora explained, rolling her eyes when she impersonated Draco.

"He didn't seem to show it at school. He seemed more interested in mocking my blood status." Hermione sighed, looking out of the window. There was a short silence before Flora answered.

"You have to understand that was how he was raised. My father made him believe Muggle borns were not worthy of learning magic from a very young age. When you're young your mind is like a sponge, so everything my father said he absorbed. I guarantee you if Draco hadn't listened to him, he definitely wouldn't have been so harsh during your school years." Flora stated, looking at Hermione with genuine sympathy.

"You know for a Malfoy, you're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be." Hermione smiled.

"I take after my mother in that aspect. She's not as strict as my father when it comes to blood lines. While at school she had several friends who were muggle born and half bloods. My father isn't too happy about the fact I'm following in her footsteps, but in the end it's my life and I'm going to live it the way I want." Flora shrugged. Hermione nodded softly in understanding, then looked out of the window once again. They were now driving through the busy streets of London, well, Wizarding London anyway. She had to admit she'd only visited this part of London a few times. She normal went to Muggle London for all her daily needs. The only time she shopped in this part was when she was in need of Wizarding supplies for work. Moments later, Anthony parked outside of a very fancy looking shop.

"I'll wait outside for you ladies. While you're inside, would you like me to collect something for you to eat on the way back home?" Anthony offered. Hermione was about to decline, but Flora cut her off and asked Anthony to pick them up some bits and bobs from a posh café around the corner. He simply nodded with a smile and walked off while Flora dragged Hermione inside.

J'Adore Boutique was definitely for those of refined taste. Expensive and glamorous dresses hung elegantly from rails as far as the eye could see. They ranged from silk to lace, slim to downright humongous. Some of them were so bright in colour Hermione had to avert her eyes. And the fitting woman was definitely something to behold. She must have been at least six foot without her six inch heals. Her hair was perfect. No wisps or bits that stuck out, and it was the most beautiful shade of purple Hermione had seen. It was quite dark, like the shade one would see in outer space. Her eyes were a vibrant green, like the shade of freshly mowed grass. And her skin was a pristine shade of white, like the kind on a china doll.

"Hermione, this is Colette. She's going to take your measurements and help us pick out some dresses." Flora introduced. Hermione smiled politely, nodding her head slightly.

"Narcissa was right. You are, what is the word? Petite?" Colette mused, placing her hands on her hips as she examined Hermione. She had quite a heavy French accent, making her seem only that much more refined and classy. Blushing, Hermione remained silent, not sure how to respond to the woman's questionable compliment.

"Come now, we haven't got all day." Colette sighed, grabbing Hermione's wrist and dragged her into one of the changing rooms. She expected it to be small, like the four by four boxes she used to change in Muggle London. These changing rooms were huge, with mirrors covering every inch of the wall. In the center of the room was a small podium which the customer could stand upon. There was a small table by the door, covered with measuring tables and note pads.

"Stand on the podium, strip down to your underwear." Colette ordered, pushing Hermione towards the podium and then walked elegantly over to the table.

"I-Isn't there somewhere more private I could undress?" Hermione asked. She wasn't exactly the most confident person on the planet, and the thought of undressing in front of someone made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"My dear, I've been in this business for ten years now. I've seen countless women undress so trust me when I say you've got nothing to be worried about. I shall close my eyes and turn around if that makes you feel better?" Colette offered, to which Hermione nodded. When Colette had turned around, Hermione started removing her clothing, then neatly folded it on the floor beside the podium. She took a deep breath, staring at herself in the mirror before telling Colette it was fine to open her eyes, who did so and approached Hermione with tape.

Twenty minutes later, Colette had taken all the measurements she required and had noted them down on her note pad. She'd made several comments on Hermione's choice of underwear, stating the bra was not the correct shape or size to support her breasts. Hermione begged to differ, claiming she'd bought the same brand for years with no problems at all. Colette responded by explaining her bras were fine for t shirts and baggy tops, but for ball gowns and evening dresses she'd need something that would make her feel comfortable. She recommended a shop called "Klassy Lady", which she'd collaborated with a few years back so the bras would be very compatible with the dresses she sold. Figuring arguing would get her nowhere, Hermione simply agreed to go shopping there with Flora after they were done here.

Hermione ended up being sold fifteen dresses; six ball gowns, four evening dresses, three outdoor dresses and two 'casual' dresses for the home. All were very elegant and looked very expensive. Colette put her choices on file and informed her she'd be ordering some more dresses for her later on, that could be collected whenever she saw fit. After paying, Flora took Hermione back outside where Anthony was waiting for them. He helped load their bags into the boot, then followed Flora's instructions to head to "Klassy Lady". During the journey, Anthony informed the women he had bought them one of his favourite snacks from when his mother used to take him out shopping with them. Opening the storage compartment, Hermione found some caramelised cookies made from puff pastry, sugar coated and folded in the shape of hearts. She'd had them before once, the name Palmiers came to mind.

"Oh my god! Anthony they're divine!" Flora gasped after taking a bite from one.

"Mother used to buy me a whole bag full when she took me dress shopping with her. She knew how much I hated going, so bought me a bag to keep me quiet." Anthony stated, smiling fondly.

"Hermione I don't care what you say, we're having these at the wedding!" Flora giggled.

"Well, they're really good so I can't protest." Hermione smiled. To her surprise, she was actually enjoying spending time with Draco's younger sister. She was definitely someone Hermione could see herself introducing to Harry, Ron and Ginny, someone she could see them easily becoming friends with. The thought of her friends made her snap back into reality. How on earth was she going to explain her engagement to Draco Malfoy? They'd freak out as soon as she told them. Sighing softly, Hermione nibbled on her Palmier to try and distract herself.

A few minutes passed by and Hermione found herself standing within the Klassy Lady store. She instantly regretted her negative thoughts about Colette, and wished to go back there rather than putting up with the shopping assistant Flora presented her with. This young woman had no respect for boundaries and seemed to have no understanding about self esteem issues. An hour later, Hermione couldn't have left that shop any faster if she tried.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

When Hermione and Flora arrived back at the manor, it was just gone half past twelve. Two house elves named Dusty and Mitzi took Hermione's new clothes up to her bedroom for her while she and Flora joined the rest of the Malfoy family in the dining room for lunch. It was a very similar scenario to breakfast, however Lucius was now reading some paperwork rather than a newspaper. However Narcissa dropped the silence and engaged in conversation.

"So, how did the shopping go girls?" She asked, glancing between Hermione and Flora.

"Very well, though I don't think Hermione liked the shopping assistant in Klassy Lady." Flora giggled. That in itself was an understatement. Hermione was crossing everything she possibly could in the hope she'd never see that woman again. However, she knew she'd most likely end up getting dragged back there. She just hoped she'd have someone different next time.

"Well at least the shopping went well. I can't wait to see what dresses you've picked Hermione. We'll have to ask Colette to design your wedding dress, she's a very skilled young woman." Narcissa smiled, taking a sip of her tea. Hermione simply nodded, even she had to admit she did admire Colette's fashion sense. She seemed to know instantly what colours Hermione liked and what she'd feel most comfortable in. Though she'd definitely be having words with her about her recommendation to Klassy Lady. That shop assistant had really put her off.

"Draco, remember you're going to be going into the gardens with Hermione today to talk about layout and décor." Lucius piped up, glancing over at Draco slightly.

"How could I forget, that's the tenth time you've told me." Draco scoffed.

"Draco, manners." Narcissa sighed, which instantly caused Draco to become mute once again. She then reminded Hermione they'd be talking about the people she wanted to invite to the wedding before she met up with Draco in the gardens.

After lunch, Narcissa guided Hermione into a very elegant looking room. It had two black leather corner sofas on either side of the room at the very back, a large fire place in the center of the room, opposite the wall the sofas rested upon and there were several forms of entertainment within the room such as; a grand piano, a chess board, a small shelf of books and an old fashioned, vintage vinyl player to listen to music. Narcissa sat down on one of the sofas, which had a coffee table resting in front of it and patted the spot beside her gently, gesturing for Hermione to sit down. She did so quickly, smiling politely.

"Now, I know you'll be wanting to invite your parents to the wedding, but tell me who else and I'll add their name to the list." Narcissa smiled, picking up a small book and a quill. Realising she'd have to use last names, since Narcissa probably wouldn't know some of her friends, she named the people she wanted to invite slightly slower so Narcissa would have time to write it down. She'd take a gap between three people, pretending to pause and think for a moment.

"Well Harry Potter, Ginny Potter and Ronald Weasley definitely. Lavender Brown since she's dating Ron. Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbot. Oh, Luna Lovegood too. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan." Hermione started, listing the people closest to her. Even though they wouldn't be happy about the wedding, they were her friends and she didn't want them missing her wedding day, since it would be the only one she ever had. Narcissa nodded as she took down the times, her handwriting was beyond beautiful. Italic and elegant.

"And who do you think you'll want to be your bridesmaids? You can have as many as you'd like." Narcissa asked, looking up at Hermione when she finished writing down all the names, which had included some of the Hogwarts teacher's Hermione had grown close.

"Well, Flora definitely. I mean, I've only known her for one day but she's been so welcoming and I feel it wouldn't be right to not include her. Then Ginny, Luna and Lavender as well." Hermione stated, feeling happy with her decision. Narcissa smiled brightly and wrote it down.

"I presume you'll be wanting Miss Potter as your maid of honour. I know how close you two are." Narcissa inquired, the smile still on her face, to which Hermione nodded. She herself had been Ginny's maid of honour at her wedding, so declining Ginny the chance to be her maid of honour seemed unfair. Besides, there was no one else she'd trust with the job.

"She'd kill me if I picked someone else." Hermione giggled.

"Well, I think that's everything for now. If you think of anyone else you want to invite, please let me know. I'll show you to the gardens so you and Draco and talk about décor, then I'll get started on writing the invitations." Narcissa smiled, then got up and guided Hermione through the long corridors of the manor until they reached a large double door made of mahogany.

"I'll see you later for dinner, I'll show you the invitations then." Narcissa stated, then opened the door for Hermione who thanked her and walked out into the gardens.

She was almost speechless at the sight she saw. The gardens were huge. There was a large round pond at the far right of the garden, probably the size of a Olympic swimming pool and no doubt had hundreds of beautiful fish living within it. There was a large gazebo made of white wood with pink roses entwined all around it at the back of the garden but right in the middle. Sitting there would give you a direct view of the entire gardens and the back of the manor, or you could gaze out onto the horizon and watch the sun set. There were also several fountains and flower arrangements dotted around evenly, as well as some beautiful pink rose trees. At the far left of the garden, right in the very corner was the biggest willow tree she'd ever seen in her life. It's branches and leaves fell down almost to the ground and were so thick they'd block out everything except the sun light, meaning if you went inside you'd have complete privacy and wouldn't be seen by anyone unless they came inside too.

"Ah, Hermione we were wondering when you'd join us." Lucius Malfoy suddenly stated, interrupting her study of the garden. She looked to her right to see Lucius and Draco sitting at a large circular white table with six chairs resting around it. It was covered by a open glass conservatory that was attached to the manor. She stepped inside and sat down opposite them.

"I've had Mitzi go and fetch you two some tea while you look through these catalogues. I'll be in my study if you need me." Lucius informed them, then stood up and left the conservatory, returning inside the manor. There was a long and painful silence between Hermione and Draco, which was only ended when Mitzi returned with the tea Lucius had told them about. Hermione thanked the house elf, who smiled shyly then rushed off to get on with her jobs.

"Look, I know this is hard on you Draco. I know you're not happy about the situation, believe me I'm not either, but our mothers are counting on us to be grown ups about this." Hermione sighed, glancing up at Draco who was looking down at the catalogues. There was a long silence between them before he finally spoke up. Hermione had expected him to yell at her, tell her he didn't care about the wedding at all. What he said instead truly shocked her.

"Can we keep it traditional?" He asked, looking over at her. She stared at him in shock for a few moments, trying to let what she'd just heard sink in. She'd actually managed to reason with Draco Malfoy and he was willing to help her plan the wedding. Smiling softly she nodded.

"Of course." She then stood up and moved over so she was sitting in the chair beside him. Glancing down at the catalogues she noticed all of them had been opened onto a traditional white wedding setting, with a few variations in the décor here and there.

"I know most girls dream of marrying prince charming, unfortunately you had to settle for me. So, I want the wedding to make up for that fact." Draco muttered.

"You're not that bad Draco, you're willing to help me with this so that says a lot." Hermione smiled and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, chuckling slightly.

"So, we're having a traditional white wedding. But I'm thinking we could add our own little twists here and there. Too much white would be a bit too much." Draco mused.

"How about green and pink? It's obvious from the pink roses and all the pink flowers your mother likes pink, and then the green goes with it, as well as representing Slytherin." Hermione suggested, pointing to a page in one of the catalogues which had the bridesmaids dressed in pink. She seemed to think it worked well.

"But then there'd be nothing representing you." Draco pointed out.

"I like pink. Besides, I'll get to pick my dress and the dress the bridesmaids will be wearing. That will represent me." Hermione shrugged, looking at him with a smile on her face.

Two hours later Draco and Hermione had finished going through the catalogues and had picked everything, décor wise, they wanted for the wedding. Surprisingly, Hermione found she and Draco had similar tastes. She didn't want anything too bold and neither did he. Just something for close friends and family to attend. Now the two were making their way over to the dining room when Hermione suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, covering her mouth with her hands. The concern in Draco's eyes was genuine as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione, what's wrong? Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes searching hers for an answer.

"Crookshanks. I left Crookshanks." She muttered, looking up at him with wide eyes full of guilt.

"Dusty went to retrieve him this morning. Don't worry, he's fine, we're just keeping him in one room for now so he can get used to this place." Draco stated reassuringly. Relief flooded Hermione's entire being and she hugged Draco tightly, thanking him hundreds of times before letting him go. There was a faint blush to his keeps, but he nodded and continued making his way to the dining room where the three other Malfoys were waiting for them.

"I trust you've both made up your minds about the décor?" Lucius asked, not glancing up at them, keeping his eyes fixed on his paper work.

"Yes father. The order form has been filled in and is on your desk." Draco responded, sitting down next to Flora. Hermione sat down next to her too, giving her a quick smile.

"Next on the agenda is catering. I'll be helping you both with that tomorrow." Narcissa stated.

"Thank you." Hermione nodded politely.

"Anytime my dear. I have the invitations here if you'd like to look at them before dinner arrives." Narcissa smiled, passing Hermione a small pile of cards. They were white and had all the writing written in gold. There were also pink roses added in the top left corner and bottom right. From the looks of it Narcissa had made each rose herself and sewn it onto the card.

"They're beautiful." Hermione smiled back, admiring the beautiful cards Narcissa had created.

"I'm glad you like them, I'll have them delivered by owl tomorrow." Narcissa stated, taking the cards back when Hermione handed them over to her. She simply nodded, but knew as soon as Harry and Ron received those invitations, all hell was going to break loose.

They finished dinner not too long later. Hermione had no idea what it was, but it had been divine. It was definitely something she could get used to, now that she was living with the Malfoys. And as much as she wanted to go and see Crookshanks, Narcissa insisted it would be better if she did so after breakfast claiming the cat wasn't quite used to the new environment yet. With hesitation, Hermione agreed to wait and made her way to Draco's bedroom. When she arrived she found a pair of her old pyjamas folded neatly on the Ottoman, causing her to smile slightly. At least they weren't making her wear the stupid night gowns they wore. She was also pleased to find the bathroom door had been left unlocked, so she stepped inside and got changed, then brushed her teeth before returning to the bedroom. When she walked back in, she found Draco already sitting on the bed, wearing some pyjama bottoms and nothing on his torso. She blushed slightly but walked over to the bed and climbed in under the covers.

"You know when Harry gets that invitation he's going to storm over here and demand what's going on." Hermione stated, looking over and Draco.

"I know." He sighed.

"And he's going to bring Ron with him."

"I know."

"And they're not going to be happy about this at all. Someone's going to start throwing punches. All hell is going to break loose." Hermione added.

"Well, we'll just have to explain everything before one of them damages my handsome face."

 _ **First off can I just say thank you so much! I mean, this story hasn't been up that long, and currently this is only the forth chapter, but it's already got 53 follows and almost 1,500 views. I am so grateful to each and every one of you who took the time to read this! It means so much to me that there are people out there who are enjoying this.**_

 _ **If you could take a moment to review this chapter telling me what you liked about this chapter, what you think is going to happen next and something you think I could improve on I'd really appreciate it. Having a little notification come up on my phone saying someone's reviewed one of my stories really makes my day, it just brings a smile to my face. Plus, reading what you've all written really helps me develop the story.**_

 _ **Thanks again guys, and hopefully I'll be uploading the next chapter soon.**_

 _ **x**_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 _Day 3: 27 Days until the Wedding._

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Hermione awoke after having a perfect night's sleep. She hadn't woke up once and felt refreshed as soon as she opened her eyes. That was something she hadn't experienced in a long time. However, as the saying goes "all good things must come to an end". Just moments after Hermione had left a still sleeping Draco in bed and picked one of the casual dresses she'd bought yesterday at J'Adore Boutique, the sound of shouting could be heard bouncing off every single wall within the Malfoy Manor. She recognised the voices instantly. Taking a deep breath she put on the dress and left the bedroom, searching for the source of all the noise. On her way she heard various phrases like:

"Where are you keeping her you cretins?!" That voice she instantly identified as Ginny.

"I bet they've got her locked up in the cellar, starving to death!" Another voice. Ronald.

"If you don't tell us where she is right now, I'll kill you!" That was Harry. She instantly began running down the corridors, recognising that tone in his voice. He was deadly serious.

"Mr. Potter, I can assure you that Miss Granger is not locked up in our cellar, she is being well fed and catered for and is here of her own free will. She could have left whenever she wanted to but she didn't. She's handling the situation in a civilised matter, and I advice you to do the same." Lucius' cold and harsh voice snarled. The threat was there as clear as day.

"What do you mean, handling the situation? What situation?!" Harry demanded frantically.

"If you'd just calm down then I could explain." Hermione announced, walking into the living room where she'd finally managed to located them. Ginny instantly rushed over and hugged her tightly, so hard that Hermione could swear she heard one of her ribs crack.

"Hermione! We were so worried! When we got that invitation we knew something was wrong, so we came here as fast as we could!" Ginny exclaimed, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Ginny, if you don't let go now I'm going to break." Hermione wheezed. Apologising, the red haired woman let her go and took a step back, smiling nervously. Ginny had the tendency to hug people a bit too tight when she'd been worrying about them. She'd been like that ever since the war ended. Clearing her thoughts, Hermione walked over to Harry.

"It may not make sense to begin with, but I'll tell you what happened if you promise not to hex anyone." Hermione pleaded, looking straight into Harry's eyes.

"Fine." He sighed after a slight pause.

After that, everyone sat down and Hermione explained everything to them. Voldemort finding her parents, forcing her mother and Draco's mother to make an unbreakable vow and having to die if the wedding was not carried out. After a few moments of silence, Ron was finally the first one to speak. However, Hermione had not expected to hear the words that left his mouth.

"I'm going to kill Malfoy." He snarled, standing up and stormed out of the room.

"What?! Ron, stop!" Harry yelled after him, getting up from his seat and raced after him.

"No! If he really thinks we're going to let him marry Hermione after everything he's done to her, he's got another thought coming!" Ron snapped, now running down the hallways.

"Ron if I don't marry him my mother and his mother will die!" Hermione protested, chasing after him too. Her pleading didn't stop Ron, and soon he found Draco exiting his bedroom.

"Malfoy!" He boomed, storming over to the blonde haired man, fists clenched tightly.

"I take it you got the invitation." Draco sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, and here's my wedding present." Ron snarled, swinging his fist straight for Draco's face. Hermione had no idea what possessed her to step between them at that exact moment, screaming at Ron to stop, but she did. With her back facing Draco, she protected him from Ron's incoming attack, but took the full brunt of it herself. His fist collided with her lips, causing her to cry out in pain and stumble back. Luckily, Draco hooked his arms around her and held her up before she could have fallen down. Everything then went dead silent. No one spoke until Lucius and Narcissa arrived at the scene. When Narcissa noticed Hermione's bleeding lip and Ron's red knuckles, she politely ordered Ron and his friends to leave.

"H-Hermione, I'm really..." Ron started, but was silenced when Hermione cut him off.

"Just go Ron." She muttered, only just loud enough for him to hear. With despair and hurt written across his face, Ron soon sulked down the corridors to find a way out of the manor with Harry and Ginny following closely behind. Within a matter of seconds, Narcissa was fussing over Hermione like one would a newborn baby.

"Oh my goodness, you poor thing. Are you alright? Does it hurt?" Narcissa asked.

"I'm fine, it's just a little cut." Hermione shrugged. The pain was very minimal, not even worth mentioning. Still, Narcissa insisted upon using a quick charm to heal the small wound. Hermione ended up letting her, knowing that if she refused she'd made the older witch very unhappy. Lucius didn't seem phased at all by the situation. Then again, he had watched many people be tortured by the Dark Lord, so seeing Hermione with a split lip wasn't exactly bad.

"There, all done." Narcissa smiled after a quick flick of her wand.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do that." Hermione mumbled softly.

"No, but I wanted to. You're going to be my daughter in law soon, Hermione. I'm going to be tending to all your bumps and bruises from now on." Narcissa stated.

"She's serious. When I got a paper cut a few weeks ago she was on it within a matter of seconds." Draco scoffed, causing Hermione to giggle softly.

Later on, Hermione found herself sitting outside once again at the table in the gardens with Draco and Flora, talking about the various foods that would be served during the wedding. They came to the conclusion they would have just a two course meal, but have three options for each course, that way everyone was bound to have something they liked. After the meals, when everyone would be able to dance on the dance floor or just talk to the other guests, a buffet would be available for anyone who might get hungry later on in the evening with foods from all around the world on it. Hermione didn't need to even ask Flora what she wanted most, remembering what the young woman had said during their shopping trip. She wrote down the Palmiers almost at the very top of the list, satisfied when she saw Flora's face light up upon seeing the tasty treat being written down. Draco had pointed out there would be some very refined people attending, so it was best to add things like caviar to the buffet. Not in huge amounts, but just enough to keep them happy. In just under an hour, the trio had covered more or less what they wanted for the wedding, leaving some room for Narcissa and Lucius to add anything if they wished, knowing the two would have some good ideas on what foods the more classier guests would enjoy. However, during the time between lunch and dinner, Hermione found herself wandering the Manor with absolutely nothing to do. Boredom set in quickly and she had no idea how to entertain herself. She knew there was a lot of planning still to complete for the wedding, but having spent the past few days solely focused on the wedding, she just wanted to take a break from it and do something she enjoyed. She desperately wanted to read some books, but she soon discovered she'd already read all the ones in the living room and she had no idea where the library was. She'd heard Draco talk about it a few times, but she didn't dare ask him. She wanted to discover the Manor for herself and find her own way around. Seeing as it was going to be her home from now on, she figured she'd better familiarize herself with the layout. After twenty minutes of searching Hermione stumbled into several rooms, none of them being the library. One of them however was Lucius' study. Hermione had been incredibly tempted to go inside and have a look around, but she thought better of it and closed the door before she got in trouble.

 **. . . . . . .**

"Hermione? There's a letter here for you." Flora's voice announced, walking into the living room. After spending a whole hour looking for the library, Hermione finally gave up and returned to the living room, figuring she could just reread one of the books in there. She looked up in confusion, gazing at the letter in Flora's hand.

"Uh, thanks Flora." Hermione muttered and politely took the letter from her, slowly opening the envelope. Inside were a couple of sheets of paper that had been folded up to fit inside the envelope. Unfolding the first one, Hermione discovered there was a sketch of each floor of the Malfoy Manor, mapping out where each room and staircase was. The second sheet of paper contained a small message on it.

 _Hermione,_

 _I knew you'd be too stubborn to ask for directions so here's a map of the manor. It's nothing much, but it should help you in your search for the library. If you have a moment, come meet me on the balcony outside my our bedroom._

 _Draco_

Hermione read the letter several times before glancing back at the map. Draco Malfoy had actually drawn her a map of the manor to help her find her way around. It was actually a very sweet gesture when she thought about it, and the fact he'd crossed out "my" and changed it to "our" bedroom made her smile softly. At least he was trying to get on with her. Since they were going to be married for the rest of their lives, it was nice he was making an effort. Getting up, Hermione made her way back to the bedroom where she found Draco, standing out on the balcony. She cleared her throat before walking beside him to announce her presence.

"What did you want to see me about?" Hermione asked, looking up at him with curiosity.

"I wanted to ask you something about the wedding." Draco stated.

"You couldn't have written it down on the letter? By the way, thanks for the map. It will definitely make things a lot easier for me now." She smiled.

"You're welcome, and no I couldn't have written it down. It's about the honeymoon. I thought it's a matter that needs to be discussed in person." Draco pointed out, causing Hermione to go silent for a moment or two. She didn't know if Wizard weddings were anything like Muggle ones, but typically after a Muggle wedding, they'd consummate their marriage on the honeymoon. Was Draco expecting that of her? Is that what he wanted to talk about?  
"What about the honeymoon?" She asked softly, looking down to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Well, first off: Where are we going? How long are we staying there?" Draco sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. In that small moment, Hermione actually found herself admiring Draco. He'd grown into quite the handsome young man. He stood quite a bit taller than her, with broad shoulders and flawless skin. Her eyes wandered down to his chest, which she remembered seeing during her first night in the manor. A bright red blush formed on her cheeks when she also recalled how Draco had pulled her dress down and gazed at her breasts.

"Granger? Granger are you even listening to me?" Draco groaned.

"What? Sorry, I kinda spaced out. What did you say?" Hermione asked, looking up at him.

"I said, then there's temperature to think about. Should we go somewhere hot? Somewhere cold? Or stick to London and deal with shit weather? I mean, if we stay here then we'd probably be saving money, but the weather would definitely ruin things. Also, there's...Granger! You're doing it again!" Draco snapped, causing Hermione to snap back into reality. That was twice now she'd started daydreaming about Draco Malfoy, and she had no idea why. Yes, she was getting married to him in less than a month, but that was no reason for her to start having little visions of their first half naked encounter.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I'm trying to concentrate but I-I...well, I guess the stress of the wedding is making me..." Hermione started, but was interrupted when Draco's lips crashed against her own, pulling her in close for a rather heated and passionate kiss.

 **Wow. I know I left a message on the last chapter, but I just want to say: THANK YOU! This story now has 70 followers and almost 2,400 views! You have no idea how happy this makes me! So I want to say a big thank you to everyone who is following this story! I hope I'm keeping things interesting for you, so if you could please review this chapter letting me know what you liked and any predictions you might have about the future of this story, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks again so much guys, more coming soon!**

 **x**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

It took her a few moments to actually come to grips with the situation she was in. Draco Malfoy was kissing her, and not soft or chastely. This was full on lust and passion. Her whole body tensed up and her mind froze. Any sign of intelligent life was no longer there. Yes, she'd kissed other men before, but none of her encounters had been remotely close to this. A few seconds passed his lips detached from hers, leaving her a panting mess.

"W-Why did you do that?" She stuttered, looking up at him in confusion.

"I had to snap you out of your stupid incompetent state somehow. It appears I have your complete attention now." Draco smirked, causing Hermione to blush as bright as a tomato.

"You can't just kiss me like that!" Hermione protested, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why not? We're getting married after all. I don't plan on spending the rest of my life going without any form of intimacy all because you're too prude." Draco scoffed, gazing out over the balcony, his eyes focusing on the horizon. What they should have been focusing on was an enraged Hermione Granger, whose fists started punching his shoulder rapidly. He let out several yelps of pain. He had to hand it to her, she had quite the left hook. However he was not in the mood to be Hermione Granger's personal punching bag. He quickly grabbed her wrists and spun her so she was facing the balcony, his chest pressed against her back.

"Bloody hell Granger! What was that for?!" Draco demanded.

"I am not a prude!" Hermione snapped, though there was a slight wobble in her voice. It was almost as if she was on the verge of tears. Then it all came flooding back to him. Their school years together, how his friends would mock her, calling her names whenever they saw her. His mind came to one incident where she'd dropped her books in the corridor and Pansy had started kicking them about before Hermione could collect them. When reaching out for one of the books, Pansy had actually stood on Hermione's hand with quite a lot of force. He remembered the Gryffindor girl wearing a bandage for several weeks after that. When Hermione had started running away, Pansy had shouted out to her that she was the Gryffindor prude who would never be loved, never have sex and remain alone for the rest of her life.

Coming back to reality, Draco looked down at Hermione's shaking form. He still had a relatively tight hold on her wrists, which were no longer struggling against him. She simply stood there, trying her hardest not to cry. She had to be strong and keep the tears contained.

"Hermione, I'm sorry...I didn't think about what I was saying." Draco muttered and gently let go of her wrists, watching as her arms flopped lifelessly down to her sides. There was a short silence between them before Hermione finally turned around, however she didn't look up.

"Pick wherever you want to go for the honeymoon Draco, I really don't care anymore." She whispered, then ran off the balcony and into the bedroom. He heard her slamming the door moments later after departing the room they now shared. Sighing softly he ran a hand through his hair, groaning to himself about what a huge idiot he was. While she maintained a strong image, he knew Hermione Granger was fragile. With the right memory, she could become a sobbing mess within minutes. Knowing he'd done wrong he slowly started making his way through the manor. Now she had map, the number of places she could have gone had increased dramatically. It would take him hours to find her, but he had to do it. For her.

 **. . . . . . .**

"I fail to understand why Miss Granger won't be joining us for dinner." Lucius sighed, glancing at Draco for a moment with obvious disappointment in his eyes before returning his gaze to the paperwork before him. Draco looked down slightly. He'd searched every room within the manor, but he hadn't been able to find Hermione anywhere. It was like she'd vanished into thin air. Maybe she'd gone to a floo and ran away from him. He couldn't blame her. He'd hurt her.

"I said something I shouldn't have, I upset her. Now I don't know where she is." Draco mumbled, shame and concern filling his voice. What if she'd gotten hurt and was laying out there somewhere in the dark, all alone? He instantly noticed how all his family looked at him.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, what did you say?" Narcissa demanded. Thanks to the confrontation with Hermione's friends that same morning, she'd been given a slight insight as to how Draco and his friends had treated the young woman during their school years.

"I was asking her about where she wanted to go for the honeymoon, I thought she should have just as much of an input on it as I have. But she kept blanking out and staring off into nowhere. I may have...kissed her...to snap her out of it, then she started ranting on at me about how I couldn't just kiss her like that. I called her a prude and then she ran off." Draco explained, looking down the entire time. He'd had many talks with his parents about the mistakes he'd made with women. However, this was the first time Flora had been subjected to such matters.

"You pig Draco!" She exclaimed, swatting his shoulder harshly.

"Hey! That hurt!" Draco snapped, glaring at her with eyes full of hate.

"Good! You deserve it! That poor girl has probably been crying her eyes out for Merlin knows how long. You're so inconsiderate!" Flora growled, folding her arms across her chest.

"That's enough, both of you!" Lucius shouted, causing both of his children to become silent.

"Yes Flora, you're right. Draco is inconsiderate at times and what he said to Hermione was wrong. However, you shouldn't shout at him about it. It's obvious he feels bad about it." Narcissa stated calmly, trying to get her children to see reason. Flora sighed softly and looked down, supposing her Mother was right. Draco obviously felt bad about what he said.

"What is important now is we find Miss Granger and bring her back before something happens to her. Now, Draco has mentioned that he's searched the entire Manor and she's not here. I will go back to her apartment to check if she's there. Flora, why don't you go and visit some of her friends houses? Narcissa, you stay here in case she returns." Lucius instructed.

"And what of me, Father?" Draco asked softly, eager to take part in the search for Hermione.

"Go search the Manor again. She may have returned and simply be hiding somewhere." Lucius ordered, then stood up and headed to the fireplace within the dining room, as did Flora. Draco nodded and stood up, rushing out to go and search the Manor for a second time.

 **. . . . . . .**

To begin with, she'd sought sanctuary in the library but soon left once she realised it would be one of the first places Draco would look for her. So she'd taken a few books and quickly made her way to the gardens where she'd taken cover beneath the branches of the large willow tree at the very back of the gardens. There she spent several hours reading the books she'd gathered and when she'd finished them all she simply watched the sunset before her. It was a rather beautiful sight, seeing all the colours illuminate the inside of the tree, and feeling the warmth of the sun on her face brought her a small amount of happiness.

"I should have known you'd be here." A voice suddenly sighed, causing her to jump in fright. She turned around to be faced with a very nervous looking Draco Malfoy.

"Leave me alone Malfoy." She sighed, sitting back down and turned her gaze back to the sunset.

"Hermione, please, just listen to what I have to say." Draco pleaded.

"Why, so you can call me more names? I've had enough of people judging me based on their own biased opinions. I'm not a prude Malfoy. I'm just not a slut like that Parkinson girl you used to spend every waking moment with at school!" She snapped, glaring at him with eyes full of hate. He tensed slightly, having no idea the word affected her so much.

"I know you're not, and I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't think and the words slipped out before I could take them back. You're many things Hermione, but a prude isn't one of them. I just hope you can forgive me for being so inconsiderate." Draco apologised, glancing down at the floor when he finished talking, but the entire time he had been his eyes had been looking directly into hers. She was slightly shocked at his words. "I'm sorry" and Draco Malfoy weren't two things she pictured ever crossing paths. Nevertheless, she was still grateful that he was being considerate enough to take her feelings in mind. Sighing softly, she slowly stood up.

"You're forgiven." She smiled, picking up the books she'd brought with her.

"Thank you. Now we should really get back before my Mother tears down the house looking for you." Draco chuckled, gently moving the branches aside so she could walk out.

"Your mother is looking for me? Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well, when I couldn't find you after you ran off I went to dinner and explained everything to my parents, the kiss, the name calling and you vanishing into thin air. Flora didn't half give me aggro for it. But in the end my Father initiated a search party. He went back to your apartment to see if you'd gone back there while Flora was sent to search your friends houses. Mother and I stayed here to keep searching here." Draco explained, heading back to the Manor with her.

"Wait, you told them about kissing me?" Hermione gasped, her cheeks turning bright red.

"I kind of had to. How else could I explain how I ended up calling you a prude?" Draco shrugged. She guessed he had a point. It would help give insight as to why she was so mad. Still, it was quite embarrassing to know that his parents were aware that he kissed her. Sighing softly, Hermione followed Draco to the Manor where they headed to the library so she could return the books she borrowed. On the way there, the pair were completely silent.

After Hermione had placed the books back into their original places, even though Draco had stated many times she could just put them wherever, the pair began their searched for Narcissa. Hermione had insisted they find Draco's Mother and inform her that she was safe.

"How was it?" Draco asked, glancing over at Hermione.  
"How was what?" Her face contained a huge level of confusion, causing Draco to smirk.  
"The kiss." He whispered after leaning close to her ear. His was satisfied to see her blush increase tenfold. The jab to his ribs was definitely worth the reaction he got. The sight of Hermione running down the corridor, hiding her face in her hands was more than satisfactory.

"I'm going to take that as a 'it was the best kiss I ever had, Malfoy. I can't wait until you do it again'. Does that more or less sum it up Granger?" He smirked, imitating her with a particularly high voice. She stopped at the end of the corridor, a wicked smirk on her lips.

"Krum kisses better." She called, then darted around the corner. If she'd have stayed a moment longer, she would have witnessed the hard blow to Draco Malfoy's ego that rendered him speechless. After composing himself, Draco instantly ran after her.

"Oh you're going to pay for that Granger!" He yelled. At that very same moment, Lucius Malfoy returned to the Manor. He'd used the floo network and exited the fireplace in the living room. The moment he stepped out of the fireplace, Hermione Granger ran into the living room and froze when her eyes met his. She was a panting mess, hair wild and untamed.

"Miss Granger, would you care to explain to me why you are running into this room like a heard of centaurs?" Lucius asked, obviously unimpressed with her behaviour.  
"Well, you see..." Hermione started, only to yelp in surprise when a large force knocked into her from behind, causing her to fall to the floor with a loud thump.

The room was silent for at least a minute. Lucius found himself struggling to believe the sight before him, and the scene that had just played out. Draco had come running into the room and had tackled Hermione down to the ground, rolling her over so she was on her back and had pinned her wrists down onto the floor above her head. The boy had remained completely oblivious to his Father's presence in the room and had demanded that Hermione take something back. It wasn't until Lucius cleared his throat that Draco slowly looked up and froze in a mixture of shock and embarrassment, still having Hermione pinned beneath him.

"Draco, what is the meaning of this behaviour?" There was a pause before Draco answered.

"She said I was a bad kisser." Draco mumbled, causing Hermione to burst out laughing.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 _Day 4: 26 Days until the Wedding._

Yesterday evening had left Hermione exhausted. After almost being hugged to death by both Narcissa and Flora, she'd received one hell of a lecture from Lucius demanding she conform herself and behave appropriately while she was in his house. Draco got the same lecture and judging from the expression on his face it was one he'd heard many times before. They'd returned to his bedroom after Hermione had something to eat, mainly because Narcissa kept on insisting that Hermione did so, then fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She awoke the next morning feeling once again refreshed and well rested. However this time Draco was not sleeping beside her. He was nowhere to be seen. She stretched slightly before climbing out of bed, then made her way to the en suite bathroom. Upon opening the door, she was greeted with a large blast of steam hitting her face. Her eyes then came to focus on a completely naked Draco Malfoy in the shower with his back facing her. He seemed to have heard the door opening, as he turned around to inspect who dared to disturb his shower. When his eyes locked with hers, she instantly ran out of the room, screaming that she was softly. He paused for a moment, then started laughing so hard his sides began to hurt.

 **. . . . . . .**

"Jerk." She muttered as she cut up the pancakes on her plate.

"How is this my fault? You should really knock first before barging in a room." Draco smirked.

"Maybe you should lock the door, that way this whole situation could have been avoided!" Hermione snarled, glaring at him with eyes full of venom which only widened his smirk.

"Complaining about the view you had?" He inquired, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm going to ignore you now." Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I'll take that as a no." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Hermione paused for a second while she considered the consequences of voicing her come back. On the one hand, it would deliver another delicious blow to Draco's ego. On the other hand he'd no doubt chase her around the manor again and they'd be caught by Lucius, who would give them another lecture without hesitation. Looking over at Draco, she felt her own smirk grow even wider than his.

"It wasn't bad. Although, your ass is a little flabby. But Krum, oh boy, that man had the ass of an Olympian god." She sighed, resting her chin in her palm to act as if she were daydreaming. There was a long silence between them and Hermione watched Draco curiously. She could see his eyes flickering slightly as if he were mentally debating what he wanted to do. Then in the blink of an eye he snapped and had jumped out of his chair, lunging towards her. She let out a very embarrassing squeak and leapt out of her own chair, racing towards the door as fast as she was able while Draco chased after her at full speed. She raced down the corridors, turning a corner sharply and dived into a room before he had the chance to spot her. Locking the door behind her she leaned against the wall and desperately tried to catch her breath.

"Hermione, what are you doing in here? Are you alright?" A soft voice asked. Jumping, she instantly straightened her posture and looked around to find the source of the voice. She spotted Flora standing by a window, wearing an apron and holding a paintbrush in her hand.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I-I was just trying to hide from Draco." Hermione mumbled, embarrassment filling her face as she rubbed her arms nervously.

"You didn't interrupt me at all. What did my idiot brother do now?" Flora scoffed, putting the paintbrush down and walked over to Hermione with her arms folded across her chest.

"Well, I walked in on him while he was having a shower. He seemed to be enjoying my embarrassment so I told him he had a flabby ass to see how he liked it. Turns out he wasn't impressed and lunged for me." Hermione explained, sighing softly. She was seriously beginning to regret her actions. A pissed off Draco didn't fare well for her safety. There was a short pause, then Flora started laughing uncontrollably. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she desperately tried to conform herself but to of no avail. Hermione just watched her in curiosity.

"You told him...oh my god...you told him he had a flabby ass?! Oh man, I wish I'd seen his face!" Flora giggled, fixing her hair. Hermione couldn't help but giggle slightly too.

"I honestly think he was ready to kill me. God knows what he'll do if he finds me." Hermione sighed, then glanced at the canvas Flora had been painting on.

It took a moment for her to comprehend how beautiful the painting was. It was of a waterfall cascading down several layers of hills, if it wasn't for the incomplete section, Hermione might have sworn it was a photograph printed onto a canvas. It looked so real.

"Oh my god, Flora, it's beautiful." Hermione gasped, staring at the picture in awe.  
"You're just being nice. My art teacher at Beauxbatons said I needed to work on my strokes. Apparently I'm too messy." Flora giggled, glancing over at the panting with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Hermione felt herself feel slightly sympathetic towards the young woman. Beauxbatons did have a reputation for being rather harsh on it's students to achieve perfection. However she did feel it was rather unfair of Flora's art teacher to say that when clearly she had talent. Placing a hand on Flora's shoulder, Hermione smiled softly.

"Well your art teacher is an idiot. Flora, you have real talent! And I'm not just saying that to be nice. Look, there's someone I think you should meet. I have this friend called Claude. We met in Paris six years ago during the school holidays. He's just become a recognised artist, I went to see his first exhibition little over a year ago and it was a huge success. If I arranged a meet, I'm sure he'd be happy to help you get your work out there." Hermione suggested.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Flora asked, looking at the brunette in shock.

"Of course." Hermione smiled. Just as Flora was about to respond, the door swung open and a very angry looking Draco Malfoy could be seen standing in the doorway. His hair was all messed up, his chest rose and fell as he panted heavily and his eyes were filled with anger.

"Oh crap." Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Granger. I'd like to have a word with you. In private." Draco snarled.

"Oh Draco grow up, this is nothing to get mad over." Flora scoffed, stepping in front of Hermione, who felt relieved that the youngest Malfoy was willing to protect her.

"This has nothing to do with you Flora, just leave." Draco sighed.

"Not until you've calmed down. I will not have you threatening the safety of my future sister-in-law." Flora stated, folding her arms across her chest. This seemed to silence Draco.

"I would never hurt her. What kind of monster do you think I am?" Draco asked.

"Well now you've said it, maybe you can rethink your behaviour. Go calm down and come back when you've figured out how to talk to someone in a civilised manner." Flora ordered, then pushed Draco out of the room and locked the door before he could come back in.

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that." Hermione mumbled, rubbing her arms.

"No, but we're going to be sisters soon. And with Draco around, we're gonna have to have each other's backs." Flora giggled. Hermione couldn't help but giggle too.

 **. . . . . . .**

Almost two hours later, Draco had not come back. This had surprised Hermione quite a great deal. She'd expected him to come back in ten, maybe twenty minutes at the most but this was quite shocking. Almost two hours and he'd still not come back. Maybe she'd really pissed him off, struck a nerve or brought back a horrible memory he'd wanted to forget. Guilt started spreading all through her body. She wanted to find him, apologise for what she'd said, but she knew it was better to stay away. He needed time to calm down, so that was what she'd give him. She and Flora had travelled to the observatory almost an hour ago so they could talk. It was a very beautiful room, the ceiling was made completely out of glass, while the walls were decorated with star charts. There was a large telescope towards the back of the room, but resting in the center of the room was a small circular table with four seats. The two women had sat down and Flora politely asked Dusty to fetch her and Hermione some tea and biscuits. The elf had happily complied, practically beaming with joy when Flora smiled at him. He'd returned moments later with a tray containing everything Flora had asked for.

"Flora, could I ask you a personal question?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, go ahead." Flora smiled after taking a quick sip of her tea.

"Well, it's been apparent to me for quite some time that the Malfoy family seems to have some kind of obsession with constellations and stars. I mean, both Draco and Narcissa are named after them, as are other members of your family. I'm just wondering, why aren't you?" Hermione inquired, trying to word her question as politely as possible. She didn't want to come off as rude or ignorant, and she most certainly didn't want to offend Flora.

"Well, the year I was conceived my mother's best friend passed away. They grew up together and were practically joined at the hip. I wish I could have known her, from what everyone has told me, she was an amazing woman. Her name was Flora Ashton. My mother named me after her in honour of her memory, but my middle name is Ophelia so mother still managed to keep the tradition. " Flora explained, smiling fondly as she spoke of the woman whom she was named after. Hermione looked at her in shock when the name clicked.

"Flora Ashton? Wasn't she the woman who tried to poison the Dark Lord the night he killed Harry's parents?" Hermione gasped, placing a hand over her heart.

"Yes. She and her husband used to be death eaters, but when they heard about how the Dark Lord was going to kill a child, only a year old, she saw him for the monster that he was. The Dark Lord celebrated with his followers before he even went to Godric's Hollow. While he was praising himself, she spiked his wine with poison. She tried to save Harry and his parents that night, but Voldemort discovered the poison, and he killed her for it. Her husband fled that night, and he waited until the Dark Lord had been defeated to to tell the true story about his wife and how she died fighting for good. He cleared her name and put an end to all those horrible stories the Death Eaters created, lies about how she'd killed herself after going mad. I'm glad people know about her now, and I'm proud to be named after such a brave and selfless woman." Flora stated, her eyes glancing over at a picture on the wall on her left. Hermione looked over at the picture too. She'd seen one just like it before, it was a picture of Flora Ashton, with her husband whose name Hermione believed was Humphrey. They were smiling up at one another, holding hands and completely oblivious to the world around them.

"I think she'd be very proud of your Mother, since she saved Harry." Hermione smiled.

"I think she would be too, or at least, I hope she would be. I know my Mother risked everything that night. She could of told the truth and told the Dark Lord that Harry was still alive, but she didn't. I think maybe she remembered what Flora did all those years ago, how she tried to stop his madness before it began, and wanted to make sure her death didn't mean nothing. I'm proud of her anyway, even if there is no one else that is, and that's all that matters." Flora said softly, a soft smile on her face.

"Well, I'm proud of her, and I'm sure Draco is too. I know Harry is as well, and everyone who fought against Voldemort. So trust me when I say, Flora Ashton would be very proud." Hermione stated, placing a hand on Flora's shoulder softly.

"Thank you Hermione, that means a lot." Flora smiled, taking another sip of her tea.

"Anytime, now what were we walking about before I interrupted you?" Hermione inquired.

"Oh, I was asking you about your first kiss." Flora smirked.

"And now I remember why I interrupted you." Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Come on! Was it Viktor Krum, or Ron Weasley? Tell me! Please!" Flora begged.

"Her first kiss was from me." A voice suddenly stated, causing both women to look over at the door, where Draco Malfoy was standing. His hair was now all neat and combed, his breathing was soft and steady, his eyes seemed calm and focused. Hermione was now the complete opposite. Her cheeks were bright pink and her eyes were full of panic.

"Wait what? What does he mean he was your first kiss? Are you trying to tell me that when he kissed you yesterday, that was your first kiss?!" Flora gasped, looking at Hermione in shock.

"No! That was not my first kiss!" Hermione stated, folding her arms across her chest.

"So, what happened?! Tell me, tell me!" Flora smirked, bouncing in her seat from excitement.

* * *

 **Please read...**

AN:

Hello everyone, some of you who may read my other Harry Potter fiction may have noticed my little announcement, but I will be repeating it on all my fictions just the once on the newest chapter I upload, seeing as some people may not know.

I want you to know that I'm starting something with each of my fictions. I'm calling it: **Featured Review**. This is where I will be featuring a review from someone that made me smile and/or said something nice/helpful about the story. It's also starting today. So, the Featured Review this time is:

 **xFireflyEyes:** This is probably the cutest Dramione story I've stumbled upon in a while. I love the addition of Flora and I can't wait to see where you go with this.

First off: Thank you. That is the nicest, sweetest thing anyone could possibly say to me. Now I seriously doubt that this is the cutest Dramione fiction out there, but it means so much to me that at least one person thinks that this story is.  
Secondly, it makes me so happy that people like Flora!I didn't know how people would react to Draco having a sister, but from what you guys are saying so far, she's a welcomed addition to the Malfoy family and this makes me so so relieved. I hope you like the fact this chapter was slightly focused on Flora, working on her back story and giving you a bit more of an insight about her character. I promise the next few chapters will be more focused on Draco and Hermione.

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me guys and I hope to be uploading more chapters soon.  
x


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Draco had been standing outside his own bedroom door for the past ten minutes, pleading with his future wife to let him in. It was a completely ridiculous notion to him, asking to enter his own room, but he did it out of respect to her. If he barged in on her, she'd probably just get even more pissed off with him. While he had no problems announcing he'd been Hermione's first kiss, she'd obviously had some grudges against it. He had no idea why though. It was just a kiss. Granted it had been her first one, but just a simple kiss nonetheless.

"Hermione, please just let me in." Draco sighed.

"No. Go away." Hermione ordered. She was currently sitting on the floor, leaning back against the door so if he did try to open it she could simply just push it shut with her back. While she had a small frame and weak appearing body, she could channel quite a lot of strength.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't realise that was a subject you didn't want people to know about, but I'd really rather have this conversation face to face." Draco stated. There was a short silence, followed by the sound of Hermione letting out an irritated sigh. She stood up, then slowly opened the door for him and retreated to the bed, sitting down on it with arms folded across her chest and an expectant look on her face. After entering the room, he shut the door softly.  
"Well, I let you in. Talk." Hermione scoffed, glaring at him.

"It was six years ago Hermione, are you seriously still holding a grudge against me? It was just a kiss. One kiss. There's worse things I could have done." Draco sighed.

"That was my first kiss Draco. I don't know about you but having my first kiss with the guy who bullied me for years isn't exactly how I planned for it to happen. And on the day of the Yule Ball too?! How could you have been so inconsiderate?!" Hermione snapped.

"Inconsiderate?! If memory serves, you weren't exactly complaining!" Draco yelled.

 **~ six years ago ~**

Hermione ran down the corridors as fast as she could, tears falling down her cheeks. Curse that Ronald Weasley and his foul mouth. How could he have ruined her night like that?! She was perfectly happy spending time with Viktor, then he had to march in and spoil everything. She came to a stop at the Astronomy tower, then fell to her knees and let it all out. She didn't care if she spoiled her make up, she was far beyond caring at this point. She just needed to cry.

"Granger?" A voice called, making her gasp in shock and wipe away the tears quickly. Turning her head slightly, she could see Draco Malfoy standing behind her, a curious expression on his face. He'd taken his jacket off, which was now folded and draped over his arm.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Hermione scoffed, looking away from him.

"I heard someone crying. Figured it might be a good idea to come and see who it was." Draco shrugged and leaned against one of the pillars that stood beside her.

"Well it was me, so you can go now." Hermione stated.

"Why were you crying?" Draco asked, completely ignoring her last comment.

"Oh my god, how stupid can you be?! I'm upset and clearly do not want you here, yet you persist and stay here as if I'm going to open up to you like I would Harry. Well, here's some news for you: I hate you Draco Malfoy, so if you seriously think I'm going to tell you why I was crying you are either crazy or incredibly stupid!" Hermione yelled, however half way through her vent her voice was wobbling and tears were falling down her cheeks like a waterfall. By the end, she was a crying mess and none of her words were comprehensible. Sighing softly, Draco sat down beside her and placed his jacket over her shoulders, then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I know you hate me, I'd be an idiot if I thought otherwise. But you're clearly upset about something, and I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I left you here alone. So just let it all out Granger, then I'll take you back to the Ball and find one of your stupid friends to take you back to the common room. You shouldn't be on your own like this." Draco whispered softly. Sniffling slightly, Hermione let out a soft giggle and looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"Up until the whole 'stupid friends', I was actually convinced you weren't Draco Malfoy, that you were someone posing as him because Draco isn't that nice." Hermione mumbled.

"You'd be surprised Granger, I'm nicer than I let on." Draco stated, gently wiping the tears away. The two then froze in that moment, staring up at each other for a few seconds before he slowly closed the distance between them. Their lips met softly and before either of them could comprehend what was happening, their lips locked and a rather passionate kiss formed. His hands moved down to her waist and hers rested on his shoulders. But just as quick as it had started, Hermione pulled away and covered her mouth in shock, staring at him with wide eyes. Without saying a word, she got up and ran off towards the Gryffindor common room.

 **~ present day ~**

"You think I enjoyed it? You lured me in with your charm and stole my first kiss from me! I ran away Draco, if that doesn't say I didn't enjoy it, I don't know what will." Hermione scoffed, getting off the bed and marched over towards the door. She needed to get away from him before she hexed him. Before she could open the door, he grabbed her wrist.  
"You kissed me back." He stated, clearly and confident. She inhaled quickly, knowing she couldn't fight her way out of that one. She had kissed him back. She'd wanted to. Before she could think of some kind of insult to say, he pulled her against him so she was pressed against his chest. She struggled in protest, but his arms soon wrapped around her, trapping her.

"Let me go Draco Malfoy or I swear to God I will kill you!" She snapped.

"You kissed me back Hermione Granger, and you liked it." He added, then cupped the back of her head in his hand, pulling her close until her lips with his. She tensed in shock, eyes wide with confusion, but when his grip on her loosened she didn't pull away. Her eyes slowly closed and her hands hooked around his neck. His wrapped around her waist and he gently guided her backwards towards the bed until she felt it pressing up against her legs. He slowly lowered her down onto it, never letting his lips leave hers for one moment. When they finally broke apart for air, his lips were only a few millimetres away from hers.

"You liked it then, and you like it now. Admit it." Draco whispered, looking down at her. She bit her bottom lip, wanting nothing more to run away just like she did when she was fourteen. But she was an adult now, she had to act like one. Groaning, she covered her face with her hands.

"Alright, I liked it! Both times! Are you happy now?!" Hermione snapped, feeling the heat coming off her cheeks. A smug smirk spread across Draco's lips as he slowly pried her hands away from her face, then stroked her cheeks softly, pressing a kiss against her temple.

"Very." He whispered against her ear, then got up and left the room without another word.

 **. . . . . . .**

Later on that evening, Hermione found herself once again dining with the Malfoys. However, the atmosphere was a lot different than it had been during previous days. She'd felt nervous and alone, scared and confused. But now, she was starting to feel a bit more relaxed.

"Oh, tomorrow we're meeting up with Ginny, Luna and Lavender to go hunt for some bridesmaid dresses." Flora stated, flashing Hermione a smile before taking a sip of her drink.

"Are we going back to Colette's shop?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, she's the only one I'd trust with such an important task!" Flora exclaimed.

"Flora, keep the volume down please." Lucius sighed.

"Sorry." Flora mumbled, going back to her meal. Hermione smiled sympathetically at the young woman, then stole a quick glance at Draco. He hadn't spoken to her since their kiss earlier that day, but he hadn't been avoiding her. He'd been called by Lucius to attend to wedding matters, ones that didn't require her presence. Maybe he was avoiding her? When Draco looked up, Hermione instantly looked away and resumed eating her meal. She could feel her cheeks beginning to grow pink and she could almost feel Draco smirking.

"After we've finished here, we should really resume that discussion about a honeymoon location we started yesterday." Draco stated, looking over at her with a small grin on his face.

"Alright." Hermione muttered, keeping her gaze low in hope she'd hide the blush on her cheeks. From the smirk that formed on Draco's face, she knew her attempts were futile. He'd seen. He knew he'd gotten under her skin and he revelled in that.

They finished dinner in relatively good time and headed back to the bedroom in silence. That changed almost as soon as they'd gone inside and shut the door. His hands grabbed her hips while hers hooked into his hair. Their lips clashed moments later as soon as he'd pushed her up against a wall. A soft gasp escaped her lips, allowing his tongue easy access to her mouth. The sudden intrusion caused her to tense in shock, but moments later she was moulding against him while soft moans vibrated in her throat. Another gasp left her when she felt Draco grab her thighs and lift her up, making her wrap her legs around his waist.

"D-Draco wait..." She muttered between kisses.

"I'm not stupid, I know nothing is happening tonight. Just indulge me with this Hermione." He whispered, looking up at her with half closed eyes. She blushed, but nodded slightly and the kiss resumed. Within mere minutes they were once again on the bed, hands all over one another. His seemed to have found a favourite place on her thighs, while her almost never left his neck and hair. Her eyes went wide when she felt him beginning to suck on her neck.

"Draco Malfoy don't you dare!" She gasped, trying to pull away. His hands grabbed her wrists and pinned them down above her head while he began to her down by pressing some of his weight down onto her as he laid on top of her. A soft whimper left her lips before she finally gave in and arched her back, pressing her chest up against his. Strained but frequent moans could be heard coming from her as she attempted to contain them, but failed often.

"Have fun explaining this to your friends tomorrow." Draco whispered once he was finished, smirking against the skin of her neck. She only just managed to climb out from beneath him and ran into the bathroom, heading straight to the mirror. Anger was all that coursed through her body as her eyes locked with the dark red mark that now stained her skin.

"YOU FERRET DRACO MALFOY!" She screamed, causing him to burst out laughing.

At roughly ten thirty, both Hermione and Draco were laying in bed but were nowhere near ready to calling it a night. The pair were laying on their sides, facing one another and currently locking lips as they kissed passionately. His hand had grabbed her leg and pulled it to rest over his, while she'd wrapped both of her arms around his neck to pull him as close as possible.

"Four days and you're already snogging me. Am I that irresistible?" Draco smirked.

"Shut up." Hermione muttered, looking down to hide her pink cheeks even though she knew Draco wouldn't be able to see since it was so dark.

"I take it you're still pissed off at me about the hickey?" Draco inquired, nerves filling his voice. He'd almost regretted it instantly after Hermione had emerged from the bathroom. She'd started hitting him so hard he'd gotten several bruises on his arms and legs. When he threatened to call someone about spouse abuse, he'd just angered her further and got slapped. More than once. Sighing softly, Hermione rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"No. But God knows you'll regret it tomorrow when Ginny's finished interrogating me. No matter what I do to hide it, she'll know. She can sense these things." Hermione stated.

"I seriously doubt that." Draco scoffed, running his hands through her hair slowly.

"Lavender had a hickey on her thigh and was wearing jeans. There was no way Ginny could have seen it at all, but she knew. She's got some sixth sense or something" Hermione added.

"Oh my god! I didn't need to know that!" Draco groaned, pulling away from her and sat up.

"Oh I'm sorry, have you got mental images of Ronald between Lavender's legs now?" Hermione asked innocently, smirking in the darkness.

"Hermione! No! Stop! Don't!" Draco pleaded, covering his hands with his ears. She giggled softly and rolled over so her back was facing. Revenge had been served. Feeling rather happy with herself, she closed her eyes and nuzzled against the pillow, ready to drift off to sleep. However, all thoughts of sleep soon left her when she felt Draco's hands pull the covers off her.

"Draco? W-What are you doing?" Hermione stuttered, catching a glimpse of his stare.

"You say Ginny has a sixth sense for these things? Well, lets amuse her shall we?" Draco whispered, climbing over Hermione so slowly it was almost like a predator stalking it's prey.

"Draco, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it, I shouldn't have put you through that mental pain. If it makes you feel any better, walked in on them having sex once which was much worse. Please have mercy." Hermione pleaded, instantly regretting her decision to take her revenge on Draco for giving her a hickey. He didn't listen, instead his hands pulled up her shirt and before she could even think to stop him his lips attacked her collarbone. After several minutes of suckling, her collarbone, Draco removed his lips from her skin and slowly moved down to her hips.

"Draco, no. Please. I'm sorry." Hermione whispered. She didn't want to go through that again. It had been hard enough to contain her moans the first time, and the last thing she wanted was for Lucius, Narcissa or Flora to hear her. God knows what they'd think about it.

"I don't think sorry is enough. Do you know what will make me forgive you though? Knowing your little friend will be able to 'sense' where I've been, where each and every little mark I've left on you is and then she'll gossip about it to Potter and Weasel, who will have to have the mental image of me between your legs every time they look at you. That, Hermione, will be worth the pain I went through." Draco whispered, his voice low and dark. Gulping slightly, Hermione could only brace herself when his lips locked onto her hip bone, then the inside of her thigh dangerously close to her underwear. She thought he'd be done after that, but when he flipped her over and began sucking on her shoulder, she realised it would be a long night.

* * *

 **AN:** Can I just say thank you so much everyone! I never expected this story to be as "popular" as it is right now, and it means the world to me knowing people are out there reading it, following it and reviewing it. So, to celebrate 7,908 views, 131 follows and 54 favourites, I will be posting TWO Featured Reviews today! So, here is the first.

 **~ skellyshook:** your story is 1 of 2 marriage stories that I'm reading that are similar to each other... Yours seems to have a smoother flow to it... More of a solid storyline... I'm really enjoying the playfulness and the getting to know each other parts of Hermione and Draco... It is definitely one of my favourites so far... I can't wait to see what you take this... Please update soon.

 _This is such a lovely review for two reasons. First of all, and I'm not disrespecting the author of the other fiction that you're reading, it just makes me so proud that someone would consider my work the better of the two. I'm happy to hear you think my work has a smooth flow and a solid storyline. Secondly, the fact people are picking up on the playfulness between Hermione and Draco is a good thing! I've wanted their relationship to be playful and hearing from you guys that it's coming off that way makes me so glad! Thank you for this kind review!_

 **~ Lilitouuu:** Ohh, it's so... it's soo... I love this story. It is great to read it. It puts my mind at ease. Today I had a very stressful day at work but you made my day. Thank you for the gentle storyline. It truly is lovely... waiting to hear more from you soon.

 _I chose this review because it gave me such a good feeling when you said this story made your day. This is something I never expected to hear, so thank you so much! I feel so honoured._

Thanks once again guys, it means so much with me that you're sticking with me through this story even if sometimes it takes me a while to update. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you, and maybe I'll do another two Featured Reviews with the next chapter. Guess it depends on the response. Anyway, hope you're all having a great day, and I'll update as soon as I can.

x


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

 _Day 5: 25 Days until the Wedding._

"Ten! Ten fucking hickeys! Draco Malfoy, I am so going to kill you when I get back!" Hermione growled after emerging from the bathroom. Draco was sitting on the bed, smirking proudly.

"What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall when you go into that changing room and they all see my little marks." Draco chuckled. Hermione groaned in frustration and walked over to her wardrobe, trying to find something that would cover up each and every single hickey on her body. While she couldn't be able to cover the one on her neck unless she wore a scarf, she seemed to have an abundance of clothing that would most certainly conceal all those nasty little red marks. She'd managed to convince Narcissa to let her wear jeans and tops outside of the Manor, but only the ones Narcissa deemed were of impeccable quality. So she'd picked out a pair of pristine black jeans that clung to her legs, a white blouse with a small amount of ruffles going down the center and a pair of black high heels that gave her an extra three inches.

"Well, since you've acted like a child it only seems fit that I punish you for it." Hermione stated.

"Oh, and how will you punish me?" Draco smirked, his dirty mind going into overdrive.

"Lets put it this way. The only sexual relief you'll get from now on, and for the entirety of the marriage, is from your hand." Hermione snarled, then stormed back into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it shortly afterwards. The last thing she wanted was for him to walk in on her getting changed so he could admire his handy work.

"Hermione, you can't be serious." Draco's voice scoffed from outside the door.

"Oh I'm deadly serious Malfoy." Hermione stated, venom filling her voice. When she was finished getting changed she unlocked the door and walked out, grabbing her handbag. Before Draco could say another word, she marched out of the bedroom and went to find Flora.

She found her sitting in the living room with Ginny, Lavender and Luna. The four women were laughing and giggling amongst one another like they'd been friends for years. However, they were not the only ones in the room. Harry and Ron were standing in the top right corner of the living room, watching the youngest Malfoy with caution and concerning. Standing in the top left corner were Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, who were doing the same to Harry and Ron.

"Ah, there she is. We were wondering where you'd got to." Flora smiled, being the first to notice her presence. All other eyes flew straight over to Hermione, who suddenly felt very self conscious. Wrapping her arms around herself, she offered a shy smile to all in the room.

"Hermione! I've missed you so much!" Ginny squealed, running over to her best friend and pulled her in for a tight hug. It took the brunette a few moments to return the gesture.

"Ginny, you saw me two days ago." Hermione pointed out, gently pulling away.

"Yes, but when dealing with Harry and Ron on your own, two days can be a long time." Ginny scoffed. Hermione knew this to be all too true, when Harry and Ron found something to grumble or complain about there was no way one person would be able to deal with them.

"Congratulations on your engagement Hermione. Although it may not be under the best circumstances, I think you and Draco will be very happy together." Luna smiled.

"Try living with him, your opinion will soon change." Flora scoffed.

"Um, thank you Luna. If you don't mind my asking, why are Harry, Ron, Blaise and Theodore here? I thought this was a girls day out?" Hermione inquired, glancing at the men curiously.

"Oh it is, but I thought Draco might need some company while we're gone so I invited Blaise and Theo to come over. It's been forever since they've seen him." Flora stated.

"And I realised since you and Draco are going to be tying the knot in just over three weeks, its about time Harry and Ron ended their rivalry with him. He's going to be your husband so it's about time they got along." Ginny added, glancing back at Harry and Ron who did not look at all happy to be there. Ginny had no doubt threatened them to get them to come along.

"Mr and Mrs Malfoy have agreed to keep an eye on them to make sure no one gets hurt." Lavender piped up, all but reading Hermione's mind. She'd been worried about Harry and Ron, but also about Draco. God knows what would happen when they were alone together.

"Don't worry, I'm not that uncivilised. I'll make sure Potter and Weasley leave here unharmed." A voice scoffed. When Hermione turned around she was greeted with the sight of Draco leaning against the door frame. He didn't seem at all phased by the concept of spending the day with Harry and Ron, while Blaise and Theodore seemed utterly appalled.

"All offence intended Malfoy, but your word doesn't mean jack shit to me." Ron snarled.  
"Ronald Weasley! You watch your language. While you may speak like that at home, I will not have you use that sort of tone in someone else's house!" Lavender snapped, putting her hands on her hips. Hermione felt her eyes go wide slightly in shock. While she'd been used to Lavender getting a little pissy now and then, she'd never heard her full out yell at someone.

It wasn't long after the war that Lavender and Ron gotten together. Lavender had barely made it out alive after being attacked at Hogwarts, and she'd spent most of her recovery in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Ron had decided he'd be of most use tending to others. It was common knowledge he wasn't the best at spells, especially ones that were needed in order to rebuild a castle. So, he'd helped move people to and from the hospital wing, as well as bring in supplies needed for the wounded. It was during this time he and Lavender rekindled the spark of their first relationship. Since a few years had passed, they'd both matured quite a great deal and the war had definitely put a whole new perspective on things. It made Lavender realise that the whole "clingy, sickly sweet" girlfriend wasn't something Ron was into. So, after spending a few months dating after Lavender had recovered, the two got together once again. Hermione couldn't have been happier for them. The brief relationship she and Ron had shared was one she felt had been rushed. People had expected them to be together, so they'd gotten together. It was a feeling he'd shared, and they ended their relationship on a mutual agreement and managed to stay friends. It was probably the best decision they'd both made. Harry and Ginny basically got engaged straight after the war and the wedding had been a beautiful ceremony, one that made Hermione cry on several occasions. Her thoughts went back to Ron and Lavender, wondering if they'd tie the knot anytime soon.

"Well, now that my brother has been put in his place, shall we get going ladies?" Ginny suggested, grabbing her handbag from the floor as she did so.

"Sounds like a good idea. Play nice boys." Flora instructed as she stood up, grabbing her handbag too and then practically skipped out of the living room.

"I like her. She seems nice." Luna smiled, then followed Flora out of the living room.

"We'll be back in a few hours. Try not to hit anyone." Lavender whispered to Ron, then kissed him softly before following Flora and Luna out of the room. Ginny and Harry also shared a goodbye kiss before she joined the rest of the women. When Hermione attempted to leave the room she was stopped by Draco, who had blocked the doorway with his body.

"Where's my goodbye kiss?" He smirked.

"After what you did, you're never getting one." Hermione scoffed, then pushed past him and raced down the corridor to catch up with Flora and the others. However, in her first few strides she managed to catch something Harry said that made her glow with embarrassment.

"What did you do Malfoy?"

 **. . . . . . .**

After bidding Lucius and Narcissa goodbye, who were waiting by the door for them, they left the Manor to see Anthony waiting outside for them. However he did not have the Phantom parked on the drive, this time it was a Mercedes Benz Viano. While it was a big car, it still did have a certain elegance about it. The pristine white paint and smooth curves made it seem like a car that beckoned for the Malfoys. Probably one they didn't use as much as the Phantom.

"Good Morning ladies." Anthony smiled, bowing his head slightly.

"Morning Anthony, these are Hermione's friends; Ginny, Lavender and Luna. Could you take us to J'Adore Boutique please?" Flora requested, returning the smile brightly.

"Lovely to meet you ladies. It would be my pleasure Miss Flora." Anthony nodded, then opened the rather large and heavy looking door for them. Flora climbed in first, followed by Hermione who took a moment to examine the interior. The back had six seats, three on each end which all faced each other so all the occupants could have face to face conversations. The seats were leather and a mixture of a very pale brown and beige. All the walls and the flooring was grey. Once they were all seated, Anthony shut the door for them and then climbed into the drivers seat. With a simple turn of the key, he started the car and then drove out of the driveway.

"Are you sure the boys will be alright? I can help but seeing this end with blood." Ginny sighed.

"Trust me, my parents will make sure that doesn't happen. And from what I've heard about Harry, he seems to be able to reason with Ron. I'm sure they'll be fine." Flora smiled.

"No offence, but you're not what I imagined you'd be like. You're much nicer than the other Malfoys. Are you sure they're your parents? Maybe you were adopted." Lavender shrugged.

"No, I'm definitely a Malfoy. I'm just not as old fashioned as my parents, nor do I share their ideals. Well, the ideals they had before the war. I think you'll find they're very different now. I think my Father adores Hermione, when before he would have hated her." Flora explained.

"He doesn't adore me." Hermione muttered, feeling the pink form on her cheeks once again.

"Please, how could you not notice? Draco isn't interested in rising to power like my Father is. He's training to become an Auror, so he can help lower the levels of crime and keep people safe. You on the other hand, your one of the youngest witches to ever reach such a high place in the Ministry. You have a lot of power, something my Father respects." Flora stated.

"Who knows, maybe he'll dance with you at your wedding." Ginny smirked.  
"Oh my god, imagine him dancing to the cha cha!" Lavender shrieked, bursting into laughter.

"On the bit where it goes 'how low can you go?', he'd probably just stand there and say something like: 'I refuse to stoop to this level'." Ginny added, joining in with Lavender's laughing. Hermione couldn't help but laugh too, for all she could picture now was Lucius Malfoy standing in the middle of a dance floor with his arms folded across his chest, chin pointed in the air and refusing to dance. Within seconds Flora and Luna were also laughing.

It wasn't much later when they arrived at J'Adore Boutique. Ginny and Lavender had trouble keeping their mouths closed when they walked in, while Luna seemed very excited by all the sparkly dresses that hung upon the rails before her. Colette approached them moments later.

"Ah, Flora, so lovely to see you my darling." Colette smiled.

"Lovely to see you too. Colette, I'd like you to meet Hermione's friends and my fellow bridesmaids. This is Ginny, Lavender and Luna. They've come to be measured and try on some dresses." Flora stated, introducing each woman to Colette, who nodded politely at them.

"Of course. I'll just get Fredrick and Isabelle to come and assist us. Give me a moment." Colette smiled, then walked off as elegantly as ever to go and find her two assistants. About a minute later she returned with a very tall man with black hair and dark eyes. He wore a white polo shirt and a pair of spotless black trousers. Hermione presumed he was the Fredrick that Colette had gone to get. Standing beside Fredrick was a woman a few inches shorter than him. Her hair was blonde and tied up into a pony tail. Her eyes were hazel and her skin was very tanned, like she'd been on a holiday to somewhere tropical and got a healthy tan from it. That must have been Isabelle. The two nodded at Hermione, and then waited for their instructions.

"Fredrick, please will you look after Luna and Lavender?" Colette requested.

"Oh, would that be appropriate? I-I mean, I have a boyfriend..." Lavender muttered softly.

"Darling, I'm gay and I have a boyfriend so there's no need to worry." Fredrick chuckled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Lavender apologised, rubbing her arms slightly.

"You weren't, I've heard it so many times I expect to hear it now. It just proves you're a loyal and faithful girlfriend. Now, come on you two, lets look for something that'll make every woman want to be you, and every man want to be with you." Fredrick smiled, guiding Luna and Lavender off into the first changing room.

"Isabelle, you'll be helping Flora and Ginny." Colette added.

"Of course. Shall we be going ladies?" Isabelle asked politely, gesturing for Flora and Ginny to follow her into the second changing room. As they departed, Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. She was worried that she'd be stuck in a changing room with Ginny, who would then see all the hickeys on her body. But if it was Colette, then it wouldn't be that bad.

"Now, I know we've not discussed any designs yet for your dress, but I was thinking you could try some plain ones on. That way we could decide which shape suits you." Colette suggested.

"Sounds great." Hermione smiled, then followed Colette into the third changing room. When they were inside, Hermione was greeted with a large line of wedding dresses, all plain white but in various shapes and sizes. Some were slim, others were absolutely huge. Just as she was about to take her top off, Hermione started thinking about what Colette's reaction to the hickeys would be. Would she judge her? Would she think her some kind of slut, or whore?

"What's the problem?" Colette asked, noticing Hermione's hesitation.

"Alright, it's a long story but to sum it up, I basically pissed of Draco and he took his revenge in the form of hickeys. He knew I'd have to strip down today, so he wanted people to see so I'd be embarrassed." Hermione explained, blushing bright red. The reaction she got wasn't one she was expecting. She thought Colette would roll her eyes and throw and insult at her, instead the woman smiled sympathetically and approached her slowly.

"I understand how embarrassed you are, and don't worry, I don't judge you. Mr. Malfoy on the other hand, I will be having stern words with the next time I see him." Colette smirked.

"I'd very much appreciate that. If anyone could put him in his place it's you." Hermione giggled.

"When I'm done, he'll think twice before doing anything like that again." Colette stated.

 **. . . . . . .**

Three hours later, Anthony was driving the five young ladies back to Malfoy Manor.

"Hermione, I've been meaning to ask you something since we left the Manor this morning, but I didn't ask until now because I knew you'd become real bitchy about it." Ginny started.

"I seriously doubt I would have been bitchy Ginny." Hermione scoffed.

"Famous last words." Lavender muttered, a smirk spreading across her face.

"Very well then, would you care to explain to me why you have ten hickeys on your body?" Ginny asked, folding her arms across her chest. At that point, all eyes were on Hermione.

"Oh my god! Hermione, did that ferret do anything to you?!" Lavender gasped.

"If he did, I know several people who could make his death look like an accident." Luna added.

"Hold on just a second! Firstly, how on earth does she know there's ten hickeys on you, and secondly, why are there ten hickeys on you?!" Flora demanded, glaring at Hermione and Ginny.

Hermione had managed to dodge their questions up until they got back to the Manor. She literally had to dive out of the car and run back inside before they had a chance to grab her.

"Hermione Jean Granger! You come back here this instant!" Ginny all but screamed. Hermione ignored her, running down the hallways of the manor as fast as she could. She had to find somewhere to hide. She didn't exactly want to explain to Ginny about how she'd gotten the hickeys in the first place, especially while Lavender was around. Moments later she found herself in the gardens, knowing she could hide under the willow tree and even climb up a few branches if she was quick. Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she ran across the garden, only to be stopped when something rammed into her. She groaned in pain when she hit the ground, blushing bright red when she saw Draco laying on top of her, broom by his side.

* * *

 **AN:** Guys, a big thank you once again. I swear, each time I update I feel the need to say thanks. Since the last chapter, this story has received 9,789 views. I can't even believe it! Thank you so much, it means the world to me that this story has been viewed that many times!

Moving on, I'll be announcing the Featured Review:

 **rexjdk:** Another great chapter. I think Draco is going to have to pay for those hickeys.

Firstly, the fact you think this chapter, and others, are great, means so much to me. With three simple words, I'm given such an insight into what you all think of my story so far. I'm honoured to have made it something you see as great. Secondly, don't you worry.

He will pay for them...

Soon...

That's all for now guys, I've got less than one month to go until my final exam so my time working on future chapters is going to be limited. Nonetheless, I will try to do as much as I can so you don't have to wait too long. Thanks for sticking with this story!  
Until the next chapter,  
TTFN  
x


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"Hermione, would you please come out of the bathroom?" Draco sighed, leaning against the door of his own en suite bathroom. He could have simply used a quick charm to unlock the door himself, but he knew that would make matters ten times worse. After what had happened out in the gardens, he seriously doubted Hermione would come out for a long time. But that didn't mean he shouldn't try. After all, he was going to have to get in the habit of calming her down when she angry or sad, they were getting married after all.

"No. I'm never coming out of here ever again. I've never been so humiliated in my life!" Hermione groaned, her voice slightly muffled thanks to the door between them. Sighing, Draco let himself slide down against the door. He might as well sit, this was going to take a while.

The events that had occurred not even an hour ago had definitely been embarrassing for the young woman currently locked inside his bathroom, even he had to admit that. But in his defence, she had brought it upon herself. Shortly after crashing into her, he'd pulled her up to her feet and brushed the grass off her clothes. When she'd asked him why he was flying around at such speeds, he'd explained to her that Potter had caught onto what she'd said and demanded to know what Draco had done to her. Being the manipulative Slytherin he'd always been, Draco offered Potter a deal. If he managed to beat him in a race, then he'd reveal all and tell Potter exactly what he'd done to Granger. If Potter lost however, Draco would get to keep his mouth shut and Potter could not say another word about it from this day on. Just as he'd predicted, Potter took the deal without hesitation. His emotions clouded his judgement and Draco had easily beat him. After explaining all of that to Hermione, Potter appeared and demanded another race, claiming that Draco had cheated somehow. Before Draco had the chance to respond, Ginny was running over to them at full speed, screaming "pervert" at the top of her lungs. No one even had a moment to blink before Ginny lunged herself at Draco and knocked him down to the ground. She started slapping and hitting him with all her power, yelling at how she was going to make him regret ever touching Hermione. Lavender and Flora appeared moments later, then began pulling Ginny off Draco who was desperately trying to fend off his attacker. Theo, Blaise and Ron approached the group just after Lavender had managed to pry Ginny away from Draco, who now had scratches all over his arms. When the trio asked what had happened, Harry simply shrugged and told him he had no idea. That's when Ginny started explaining everything, telling the group that Draco had marked Hermione with ten hickeys. As if to make her point, she pulled away from Lavender and ripped open Hermione's blouse, causing to buttons to pop off and reveal the red mark on her collarbone.

Seconds later, while Hermione was desperately trying to cover herself up, Ron punched Draco on the face causing the man in question to yell in pain and clutch his nose. Theo and Blaise leapt into action, defending their friend by standing in front of him while pointing their wands at Ron and Harry, who pulled out their wands at the same time. Noticing Ginny was reaching for her wand, Flora quickly disarmed her and also stood in front of her brother, protecting him from any incoming assaults. Lavender instantly tried to calm everyone down, claiming this was nothing to get worked up over and it was probably just a misunderstanding. Outraged, Ginny started demanding how on earth it could be a misunderstanding. Ron also chipped in, claiming he was going to make the ferret pay for getting his filthy paws all over Hermione. It was in that very moment Hermione snapped. She'd had enough of people treating her like she was eleven years old and in constant need of defending. She was the smartest witch of her age for crying out loud! She tried politely telling everyone to stop bickering, but her voice could not be heard over the volume of everyone shouting. She was tired of being ignored.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! I have had it up to here with all the fighting! You may have been rivals in school but get over it! You're adults now so act like it! Yes, I have hickeys on my body but I don't see how that is anyone else's business! What goes on between me and Draco does not concern any of you! Oh, and did it also enter any of your thick skulls that if I hadn't of enjoyed myself I would have fucking reported him?!" She all but screamed at them, then instantly stopped when she let the words that she'd just spouted out sink in. Covering her mouth, she ran back into the Manor, slamming the door behind her. Seconds later, Luna walked out of the same door and approached the group, a dreamy and calm expression upon her face.

"Would anyone like some tea?" She asked softly.

 **. . . . . . .**

An hour later, Draco was still sitting up against the door. He'd been trying to convince Hermione to come out for quite some time, but she stayed inside the bathroom. He'd assured her that everyone else had left and it was just them in the Manor, besides Flora and his parents, so she didn't need to worry about answering to them, but the door remained locked.

"Hermione, seriously, it wasn't that bad." Draco sighed.

"Not that bad? Not that bad?! I basically announced to all my friends that I enjoyed what happened last night! They probably think I'm some common whore!" Hermione scoffed.

"They don't think you're a whore. Do you wanna know what they think? After you left, Weasley punched me again and demanded to know what spell I'd put you under. Now they all believe I've got you under the Imperious Curse. None of them give a rat's ass about what you said Hermione, I don't think any of them actually realised what you meant." Draco chuckled. Moments later, the sound of the door unlocking could be heard. He quickly stood up so he didn't fall back when it opened and waited patiently for her to come out of the bathroom. She did a few seconds late,r slowly easing the door open before stepping out.

"They don't think I'm a whore?" Hermione questioned, almost in disbelief.

"No, they're far too busy thinking about how to kill me than to worry about whether you enjoyed yourself or not." Draco smiled. He watched as the tension slipped from her body and how she instantly relaxed after hearing his words. Her eyes then went wide when she saw the state of his face. Dried blood had formed around his nostrils and he had several scratch marks on his cheeks from where Ginny had clawed him earlier. Taking his hand, Hermione guided Draco to the bed and gently made him sit down. Grabbing her wand from her pocket, she gently pinched his nose to determined whether or not it was broken. From the wince he made and how he recoiled from her touch, it most definitely was broken, in several places.

"I'm gonna have to fix that." Hermione sighed and knelt down in front of him.

"Worried about me already, Granger? Seems I've made quite the impression on you." Draco chuckled, a smirk on his face. He soon came to regret it when he saw the scowl on her face.

" _Episkey_." She snarled, giving a flick of her wand which him to cry out in pain.

"Fuck! You could have given me a little warning!" He groaned.

"Sorry, I don't care about you enough to do that." Granger smirked, standing up and then handed him a tissue to wipe up the blood that was now coming out of his nose.

"Very funny." He muttered, taking the tissue from her, dabbing at his nose lightly.

"Jesus Christ Draco, are you incapable of taking care of yourself?" Hermione sighed, snatching the tissue away from him and started wiping up the blood much more effectively than he, all while still keeping her motions gentle in order not to hurt him.

"You're no better than my Mother, treating me like a child." Draco smiled.

"That's because you are one." Hermione smirked, glancing up at him momentarily before returning to her original actions. While the blood flow had slowed, it hadn't stopped fully.

"Ouch. Your words wound me. Oh, my ego! How shall I ever recover?" Draco exclaimed dramatically, placing one hand over his heart while the other rested across his forehead.

"Oh shush you big baby." Hermione giggled, gently moving the tissue away from his nose to inspect the bleeding. From the looks of things, it had stopped completely.

"I'm not a baby, I am a grown, flawless man who women adore and worship." Draco corrected.

"Sure you are. Well, it looks like the blood vessels have formed a clot. You're as good as new." Hermione smiled, getting to her feet and put the bloodied tissue in the bin.

"Well, not to toot my own horn but you were comparing me with a deity last night. If that's not worship I don't know what is." Draco smirked, pushing himself off the bed and rose to his feet. Hermione felt her cheeks burning bright red, but she refused to turn around. If she did he'd just see the effect he had on her, inflating his ego into a strained balloon that was ready to pop.

"I have no idea what you're referring to." Hermione muttered, brushing her hair behind her ear. A gasp of shock left her lips when Draco's hands grabbed her shoulders and spun her around so that she was facing. His grey eyes locked with her own, a wicked smirk on his face.

"I'm referring to the two little words that you were repeating over and over last night." Draco whispered, dangerously close to her lips. Why was her heart beating so fast?

"They wouldn't happen to be fuck off would they?" Hermione mumbled.

"No. Come on Granger, you're meant to be the smartest witch of your age, surely you can remember which two words you were moaning into my ear." Draco purred.

"Oh for God's sake!" She snapped, pushing him away from her and stormed out of the room.

"Close enough." Draco chuckled, waiting a few moments before following her.

About ten minutes later, both Hermione and Draco were summoned into the living room by Narcissa. While it was only two in the afternoon, Draco could think of much better things to do than listen to his Mother natter on about the wedding. Granted it would be the only one he ever had, so he wanted it to be nice not just for his sake but for Hermione's as well, but he still had twenty five days to figure that lot out. Surely, whatever his Mother had to say could wait. He received quite a shock when he did enter the living room. Sitting on one sofa were his parents, both of them looking rather pale. Well, paler than normal anyway. Sitting opposite them on another sofa were two others, one male and one female. The male was none other than Severus Snape, his supposedly deceased God Father. He could visible see Hermione tense when her eyes fell upon the woman sitting next to Snape. She had wavy black hair that shone in the sunlight and appeared as smooth as silk. Her skin was pale and she wore a black dress that fell to her ankles. The woman looked very nervous when looking at Hermione. Within the blink of an eye, Hermione's hand dived into the pocket of her trousers, pulling out her wand.

"Stu-...!" She started, probably about to cast a Stupefy at the unarmed woman.

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius snapped, sending Hermione's wand flying out of her hand and onto the floor. She looked at him with eyes full of betrayal and fear. When she tried to run, Draco grabbed her and held her close, trying to calm her down. While he was just as confused as she was, he didn't want her running off and doing something stupid. She needed to stay.

"This was your plan all along! Have me believe I can trust you and then bring her in to finish what she started!" Hermione sobbed, lashing out at Draco to try and get away.

"Hermione, it's not what it looks like. Please, just calm down so she can..." Narcissa started.

"Kill me?! That's what you want isn't it? The thought of your little pure blood prince marrying a mudblood is too much for you to bare, isn't it?! Well go on then, kill me!" Hermione yelled, her struggling against Draco ceasing but he still kept a tight hold on her.

"Hermione, no one is going to hurt you." Lucius sighed. He was not used to witnessing such emotions and he had no idea how to react, so kept up his image as stone cold Lucius Malfoy.

"I can't believe I ever trusted you..." She whispered, her legs failing her as she started crying. Draco instantly pulled her close before she would have slipped out of his hold and gently lowered himself onto the floor, her head hidden against his chest as she cried. He never thought the sight of Hermione Granger crying would cause him so much pain, yet it did. His heart was breaking witnessing the young woman sob in a mixture of fear and sorrow. Slowly rubbing her back to try and calm her down, he pulled her onto his lap and held her close.

"Hermione, I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. But we're both in the dark, neither of us know what's going on, so maybe we should listen to what they have to say." Draco whispered. Lucius and Narcissa watched intently as their son attempted to calm Hermione down. She needed to be calm and willing to listen in order for what Severus was about to say to make sense and they wanted nothing more than for her to know the truth. Moments later, Draco felt Hermione's head move in a soft nod against his chest as she agreed to listen.

"D-Don't leave me alone..." She whispered softly so only he could hear.

"You're stuck with me for life Granger, what makes you think I'd leave now." He smiled, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head and then gently helped her to her feet.

 **. . . . . . .**

Once Flora had joined them, and Dusty had brought some tea for the large group, Severus began explaining the long story of how he'd survived and the truth about Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Miss Granger has already been made aware of this, but I shall repeat it to all present in order for this to make sense. All those years ago when the Dark Lord attempted to kill the infant Harry Potter his mother, Lily, cast herself between them. The spell rebounded and broke off a part of his soul, which latched onto the only living thing left in the house: Harry himself." Snape started, placing his half empty cup of tea down onto the coffee table before continuing.

"Wait, so Potter was a Horcrux? That's why he went to the Dark Lord willingly?" Draco gasped.

"Yes, Mister Potter knew he had to die in order for the Dark Lord to be defeated. When he found me after I'd been attacked by that snake, I provided him with the memories in order to explain this to him. Dumbledore had been protecting him for all those years, just so he could die at the proper moment." Snape explained.

"Fuck." Draco muttered under his breath, completely shocked by what he had learnt.

"Draco, language." Narcissa scolded, glaring at him briefly before looking back at Severus.

"But sir, that doesn't explain how you survived the attack, there was so much blood. I was there when you died." Hermione pointed out, recalling the event as if it were yesterday.  
"Haven't I proven after all these years that I am always one step ahead Miss Granger? The only reason the Dark Lord had that snake attack me was because he believed the Elder Wand answered to me, when it actually answered to Draco." Snape continued.

"Hold on, what?!" Draco asked in disbelief, shock filling his eyes.

"When you let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts and found Dumbledore on the Astronomy tower, he deliberately let you disarm him. From that moment on, the Elder Wand answered to you. Voldemort believed that the person who killed the wand's previous owner would control the wand next, which is why he ordered Severus to kill him. Voldemort would have killed you if you had been the one that killed Dumbledore. He saved your life Draco." Lucius explained, watching as Draco let the words sink in and he came to grips with what they meant.

"Your Father is right, Draco. But I had been preparing for months in advance. Each day I was taking various antidotes to snake venoms to make my body naturally immune to the poisons. The blood you saw was merely an illusion Miss Granger, to make you believe I was dead. Before he died, Albus had given me another mission and I owed it to him to carry it out." Snape explained, casting his gaze between Draco and Hermione.

"And what was this mission?" Hermione asked, though she knew it was to do with the woman sitting opposite her, the woman who had been staring at her non stop for the past ten minutes.

"Albus Dumbledore was a very smart wizard, and he discovered that the Bellatrix Lestrange that tortured you here all those years ago was not the one you see before you. She was merely an imposter, taking Polyjuice Potion to make herself look like Bellatrix. Her real name was Penelope King. She had been a dedicated follower of the dark lord for years, but he never paid her much mind. Knowing the Malfoy family was often recognised and called upon by the Dark Lord, she managed to capture the real Bellatrix and took her place." Severus informed them.

"Severus managed to find me about a year ago, locked in a basement where that god awful woman had been keeping me for years. If he hadn't of found me when he did, I would have died days later. He nursed me back to health and told me everything that had happened while I was gone. He told me what that woman did to you Hermione, how she tortured you and brought you so much pain." Bellatrix said softly, her eyes filled with sadness and guilt. She definitely sounded different, soft and kinder. There was true meaning behind her words.

Hermione felt the scar on her arm start to heat up as the memories of Bellatrix...or Penelope, whoever she was, torturing her began to form in her head. She tried to keep the tears at bay.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am. Although it was a completely different person who done those things to you, she still used my face and my body to do it, a face that has no doubt haunted many of your nights ever since. I can only beg your forgiveness." Bellatrix apologised. There was a shot pause between the two women before Hermione finally answered.

"I still wake up from nightmares, after all this time I can still feel the exact pain I felt that day. Sometimes I scream so much my throat hurts and I can't speak for days. I don't think I'm ever going to forget what happened and I don't think it will become easier to deal with as time goes on. But, now that I know the truth about who that woman really was, I think I can separate you from her. The woman who did those things to me is not the same as the woman you are. She was cold and cruel, with nothing in her heart but hate. Just by looking at you I can see that you don't have it in you to harm any living creature. You don't need to beg my forgiveness, because in my eyes you didn't do anything wrong. You went through just as much pain as I did, maybe even more so. I merely experienced a few hours of pain, you were locked away for years while that woman used your identity to do unspeakable things. I can't begin to imagine how you feel, but I want you to know I don't hold any resentment towards you." Hermione said softly, her voice only just above a whisper. Draco gently wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. He knew how painful the memories were for her, hell they were painful for him. He'd been forced to watch as she got tortured and it was something that still haunted him.

"Thank you, that's more than I hoped for." Bellatrix smiled.

 **. . . . . . .**

For the rest of the day, Bellatrix and Severus remained at the Manor. They ate dinner with the Malfoy's and listened carefully as Narcissa explained the events that led to Draco and Hermione's engagement. Severus was instantly determined to find some sort of way to break the vow, even though Narcissa had insisted they'd tried everything. Bellatrix shot a sympathetic look at the young couple, but other than that didn't say much. She knew Hermione was still cautious around her, so she didn't want to push her luck. After dinner Bellatrix and Severus left the Manor, claiming they would return in a few days. The rest of the Malfoy family retired for the evening. It had been a long day and they were all ready for an early night, especially Hermione. After the whole hickey incident and then Bellatrix and Severus suddenly appearing, she was emotionally spent and just wanted to rest.

Draco's calm and peaceful slumber was interrupted by the sound of tortured screams. He instantly bolted up right to find Hermione laying beside him, curled up into a ball while she screamed as if her soul was being torn apart. A thin layer of sweat covered her skin, but she was shaking frantically and was cold to the touch. In an instant he was hovering above her and trying to wake her from her nightmare, eyes filled with concern and worry. When she did, she took a short and sharp intake of breath and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She hesitated slightly before throwing her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, letting the tears cascade down her cheeks. He instantly moved into a seated position, pulling her onto his lap just as he'd done several hours earlier and cradled her like one would a new born child.

"Shh, I'm here. You're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, I promise." He whispered.

* * *

 **AN:** At last, it is done! I'm sorry this chapter took longer than usual, I had to rewrite it twice before I was moderately happy with the outcome. So big shocker in that chapter, let me know what you guys thought about that in the reviews! Speaking of reviews, lets move on to the **Featured Review** for Chapter 9.

 **Guest:** This chapter made me all kinds of happy. Please update soon, I'm dying o read how this next part does down.

Thank you for this lovely little review! The fact it made you happy makes me happy! That's all I aim for as writer, to have my readers enjoy my work. And hearing you eager for the next chapter just makes me smile no end. I'm so glad there are people out there who look forward to the updates of this story. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!

Thanks for all the follows, favourites and reviews!

I look forward to your thoughts on this chapter and writing the next chapter. I'll try and get it uploaded a whole lot quicker this time.

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	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

 **(Spoilers and Warnings:** I will be using some of my characters from Sinful Bloodline, some of whom ended up getting together with other characters during that story. The pairings that ended up coming to be will be featured in this story, also there will be characters in here that possibly haven't been revealed in Sinful Bloodline yet, hence the **SPOILER.** As well as that, I'm using the same concept of the war with Voldemort as I did in Sinful Bloodline, that being he didn't return until seventh year instead of fourth, so therefore several characters never ended up dying. Since they will be making an appearance and/or will be being mentioned in this chapter, I thought I'd let you all know. Anyway, enough rambling, back to the story. **)**

 _Day 6: 24 Days until the Wedding._

"Severus, it is three in the morning. Who is she, and what are you doing here?" Lucius demanded, his patience running very thin. Just moments ago he had been sleeping peacefully with his wife in his arms, when a pop had disturbed him from his slumber. He'd discovered Mitzi standing by his bedside, where she'd quietly explained that "Mr. Snape" was asking to see him. Asking was one way of putting it, demanding was a more accurate terminology for his actions. After grabbing his robes, Lucius had gone downstairs to see Severus standing in the Foyer with a young woman by his side. She was quite the tall thing for someone who looked so young. She probably was the same height as Draco, maybe a bit taller. Her hair was pitch black and as straight as it was humanly possible. Her eyes were a deep blue which mirrored the darkest depths of the ocean and her skin was ghostly pale, defining her from the darkness.

"This is Cordelia Lestrange, the daughter of Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, your niece." Severus stated, his tone bland and his expression stoic while Lucius seemed to be in shock.

"My niece?! And you thought three in the morning was a good time to announce this?!" Lucius hissed, venom filling his voice and hate glazing his eyes. Severus took a mental note, never wake Lucius Malfoy before six in the morning. He would definitely live to regret it.

"Her relation to you is not the reason for our visit. Cordelia has been presented with what appears to be the gift of premonitions. She is able to see things before they happen, and while this ability has proven to be new and unpredictable, never once have her visions been wrong. We've come to you at this early hour because Cordelia has experienced a concerning vision about Miss Granger." Snape explained. His gaze then travelled to Cordelia, as if he expected her to pick up from where he'd left off. She nodded and let out a soft breath before speaking.

"I saw a cloaked figure of red approaching Miss Granger, in a room where the walls were completely covered with mirrors. Then before I could even try to make out what was going on everything smashed and the figure disappeared. When I looked back to Miss Granger, she was laying on a grass floor which was now turning into a field of her own blood. Draco suddenly appeared and he was leaning above her, trying to stop the blood leaving her wounds. But her eyes were glassy and she wasn't moving. I think he was too late..." Cordelia stated, twiddling her fingers nervously as she explained her vision. Just as Lucius was about to respond, claiming this to be nothing but nonsense, a loud smash echoed throughout the Manor.

Without hesitating for a moment, Lucius and Severus were running up the stairs as fast as they were able with Cordelia following closely behind them. Within moments they had arrived at Draco's bedroom and when the door swung open all three frozen in temporary shock. The sight that greeted them was probably one that they would take with them to the grave. One of the large windows that gave sight to the balcony had been broken from the outside and laying on the floor just before it was a bleeding Hermione Granger. Her eyes were closed and there were many deep cuts covering her body. Draco was kneeling beside her, a panicked look in his eyes as he attempted to cover the numerous wounds with his two hands. Looking up, he noticed the three people in his doorway who were all watching in complete horror.

"Don't just stand there! Help her!" Draco yelled, snapping them all out of their trance.

 **. . . . . . .**

The Healers who had apparated from St. Mungo's made quick work of Hermione's injuries. They claimed she had been very lucky that none of the cuts had been a mere centimetre deeper, or they would have caused permanent damage that would have seriously affected her way of life and definitely made things difficult for her in the future. After she had been tended to, Draco gently placed her on the bed where Cordelia remained to keep a watch over her while Draco followed his Father and God Father to Lucius' study to explain what happened.

"I woke up when I heard someone banging on the door like mad. I got out of bed to answer it, but I guess Mitzi beat me to it because the knocking stopped. So I went back to my room to find Hermione standing by the window, looking out of it. I told her she should go back to bed and get some rest, but she shook her head and kept looking out of the window. When I went to see what she was looking at, that's when the window smashed. She fell to the ground like doll and then this guy appeared out of nowhere. He was wearing a red cloak and he was going to grab Hermione so I sent a stinging jinx at him. He fell to the ground and then disapparated." Draco explained, running a hand through his hair, recalling the memories with a shudder. Lucius glanced at Severus in almost disbelief before looking back at his son. Cordelia had been right. While not all of her vision materialised, she'd still seen many of the things that happened before it actually came to be. Maybe divination wasn't the nonsense he'd believed it was.

"I will alert this Ministry at once about this attack. If someone has targeted Miss Granger, this could indicate a rising of a new enemy." Severus mused, before departing the room.

"I should have done something." Draco sighed, looking down at the floor.

"Draco, there was nothing you could have done. We didn't know what was going to happen until it was too late. The important thing is that Miss Granger is healed and resting. I'll have some new wards put up to prevent anything like this happening again. Try to get some sleep." Lucius instructed softly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder before standing up and heading back to bed himself. It took a few minutes for Draco to leave the study and head back to his own room. While the window had been repaired with a quick spell, he could still picture the broken glass stained with Hermione's blood in his mind. He could still see her laying on the floor, bleeding out. But the thing that made it worse was that Draco came to realise he'd broken his promise. Just hours ago, he'd vowed to a sobbing Hermione that he'd never let anything hurt her ever again. Mere hours later she'd been attacked. He'd failed her.

Letting out a soft sigh, Draco opened his bedroom door to see Cordelia still sitting on the bed, pressing a damp cloth on Hermione's forehead. While the Healers had tended to Hermione, his Father had explained to him that Cordelia was actually the daughter of Bellatrix, making her his cousin. Before he could ask his Father why he was only learning this information now, the Healers had announced that they were finished, interrupting their conversation.

"How's she doing?" Draco asked, approaching the bed slowly.

"She's got a bit of a fever but the Healers said that was to be expected. Other than that, she seems fine. She's not crying out in pain so I can only presume she's healing." Cordelia stated.

"Good. So, my Father tells me you're my cousin. I don't mean to be rude, but why am I only being made aware of this now?" Draco asked, sitting down at the bottom of his bed.

"It's a long story." Cordelia sighed, glancing down slightly before looking at him.

"I'm a patient man, and quite a good listener." Draco shrugged. Cordelia hesitated slightly.

"I was born one year after you were, and that year had been hard for my Mother. There were rumours going around that my Father had been having an affair and she took it really bad. She started shutting herself off from the world, then she began having anxiety attacks. When I was born, I think the stress was just too much for her, so she sent me away to go live with one of her friends, Penelope King. But she didn't abandon me, if that's what you're thinking. She still wrote to me and came to visit me, but she wanted to make sure she was perfectly stable and capable of looking after me before she took me back. So when I was eleven and got my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, she had my surname temporarily changed to King. She thought it was better if no one knew I was her daughter just yet. When the Dark Lord returned things took a pretty dark turn for the worst. Penelope and her husband posed as my Mother and Father, then had us all locked up in their basement. We had no idea what was going on in the outside world, but when Penelope didn't return for a while we could only presume that she'd been killed and hopefully the Dark Lord had been defeated. Our suspicions were confirmed when Severus found us and took us back to his home where he nursed us back to health. We'd be dead if it wasn't for him." Cordelia explained, removing the cloth from Hermione's forehead.

"I'm sorry. I can't even begin to imagine what that was like for you." Draco mumbled.

"It wasn't all bad. I mean, the living conditions were awful and we barely ate, but I got so much time with my parents that went uninterrupted, it felt like I was catching up on all the years I'd missed with them. Father was thrilled to hear I was in Slytherin and he spent days telling me stories about his time at school. I can't even begin to tell you how much of a trouble maker he was." She smiled. Draco felt an overwhelming feeling of respect towards his cousin. While she had been in a terrible situation, she'd still managed to see the bright side and not dwell on it.

"Come, you must be tired. You can stay in one of our guest bedrooms for the night." Draco stated, standing up and offered her his hand. She took it and he gently pulled her to her feet, then let go and guided her down the hallways to one of the guest bedrooms. After bidding her goodnight, he returned to his own bedroom and joined Hermione on the bed. After checking her temperature, which seemed to have cooled down slightly, he allowed himself to fall asleep.

The next morning, Draco awoke to the sound of high pitched girly giggles. The noise highly irritated him and instantly put him in a bad mood. Throwing the covers off himself, he marched out of the bedroom and headed downstairs where the racket was coming from. It didn't take him long to discover the source of the noise. Sitting on the grass, soaking up the sun in the garden was a large group of women he'd never expected to see together in his lifetime. Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass were leaning back on their elbows with their faces pointed up towards the sun while they were laughing and giggling with none other than Ginny Potter and Lavender Brown. Sitting opposite them was Cordelia Lestrange: his newly discovered cousin, Flora Malfoy: his annoying brat of a little sister, Luna Lovegood and Marianne Clearwater. All of them seemed perfectly comfortable in one another's company.

With a foul expression upon his face, Draco stormed over to them and cleared his throat once he was close enough to be heard by them all, making sure he got every woman's attention.

"Do me a favour and tone it the fuck down! I am trying to sleep and I can't do that while you're all squealing and giggling like a bunch of school girls!" Draco snapped. There was a short silence from the woman after Draco's little outburst, but Ginny was the one to break it.

"Damn, Malfoy, who knew you were so buff." She purred, resting her chin on her palm.

"Ginerva Potter! You're married!" Lavender gasped, swatting Ginny on the shoulder.

"Hey! I'm not touching, just looking. What's wrong with admiring the view?" Ginny protested. It was then Draco realised he'd stormed out of bed only wearing his pyjama bottoms. His torso was completely bare, leaving the exposed skin for the women to drool over. Rolling his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He wasn't that buff, just slightly toned. But even he had to admit he'd gotten a lot better looking, body and muscle wise, since his school days.

"Ew, Draco go put a top on!" Flora groaned, shielding her eyes from her half naked brother.

"No, don't put a top on! Just five more minutes..." Ginny pouted.

"I take it Potter has let himself go?" Draco smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

"He has not! He's a right handsome little devil!" Ginny snapped, glaring at him.

"Of course, because that would explain why you're drooling all over me." Draco chuckled.

"Shut up." Ginny snarled, turning her back away from him and started muttering to herself.

"Your Mother told me what happened last night. How's your fiancé?" Pansy asked.

"She's fine, still resting. Why do you care Pansy? As I recall you weren't that fond of Granger during school." Draco scoffed, casting her a suspicious glare.

"That's why she's here. She wants to make amends. So do I. You're one of our oldest and closest friends Draco, and since you're getting married to Hermione we figured we should at least try and put some effort into becoming her friends too." Daphne explained, her expression honest and sincere. He raised a brow slightly, but figured it was completely plausible. In a few short years, Daphne and Pansy had gone from immature school girls to role models of society. Besides, everyone deserved a second chance, didn't they? Who was he to deny them that?

"Fine, but she's been under a lot of stress these past few days so don't do anything over the top." Draco sighed. He knew Pansy too well and she was all about big dramatic activities.

"I'm not stupid Draco, I was thinking maybe we could go to a spa and relax." Pansy stated.

"Sounds like a wonderful idea. Pansy, you take Hermione and the girls out for a day or relaxation while I take Draco out to book an Officiant for the ceremony." Narcissa's voice suddenly announced. Turning around, Draco noticed his Mother walking over to them, looking as elegant as ever. Damn woman and her falcon hearing.

"Mother, I am not sitting in a church filled with old farts." Draco huffed, frowning slightly.

"Draco! Manners! Father James is a lovely man who performed at my wedding and it would be a great honour for you and Hermione if he performed at yours. I will not have you speaking ill of him and you will be accompanying me. This is not a negotiable matter, Draco." Narcissa scolded, firmly putting her son in his place while Flora struggled to contain her giggles.

"Yes Mother." Draco mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Good. Now go get dressed, it is not appropriate for an engaged man to stand shirtless in front of other women." Narcissa ordered, gently pushing Draco on his shoulders, guiding him back to the Manor. It only took a few seconds before he was brushing her away, stating his was quite capable of finding his way to the Manor himself and didn't need her to push him there like a child. As he stormed off, Flora finally let out the laughter she had been holding in.

 **. . . . . . .**

Hermione bolted up in shock when the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut woke her. She was met with an instant apologetic look from Draco, who had thought she would have been awake by now. She watched as he made his way over to his wardrobe, fishing through various suits, so she could only presume he was going out somewhere.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, watching his every move with curiosity.

"Oh everything is just peachy. I got woke up by the squeals and giggles of school girls, then got scolded by my Mother for not wearing a shirt and then to make it worse, I got made a fool out of when she treated me like a child in front of said giggling school girls. Now I have to go sit in a sodding church filled with old smelly people while I listen to my Mother fantasise about my wedding. How could the day get any better?" Draco exclaimed, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"I'm sure it's not that bad. Besides, can't you just ask not to go?" Hermione suggested.

"I told her I wasn't going with her, and what I got was, 'Draco, this is a non-negotiable matter. We are going and that's final. Now put on a shirt, an engaged man can't be flaunting such a god-like body in front of such young, naive young women. Look, they're drooling all over the grass, be gone with you'." Draco scoffed in a particularly high voice, imitating his Mother with one hand on his hip while flapping his other hand about in over exaggerated gestures.

"I think I can say those weren't her exact words." Hermione stated, holding back her laughter.

"I think you'll find my words are true. Just ask your little ginger haired friend. She was practically begging me not to put a top on when Flora told me to put one on." Draco smirked.

"I swear, if you're ego gets any bigger you're going to burst like a balloon." Hermione scoffed.

"My ego is perfectly stable thank you. But you should get ready too, Pansy's here and she wants to take you out to a spa with a few of her friends and yours. Something about wanting to make amends." Draco shrugged, grabbing a suit and pulled down his pyjama trousers.

"Oh my god Draco! A little warning next time!" Hermione snapped, covering her eyes with her hands as she made her way to the bathroom. He chuckled softly before he responded.

"Stop complaining Granger, I know you love it. How does that Muggle song go again? That's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, you like it, uh-huh uh-huh~." Draco smirked, breaking into song.

"Go jump in front of a train!" Hermione yelled, slamming the bathroom door shut behind her.

"You're just giving me ammo here, Granger. I'd catch a grenade for ya, throw my hand on a blade for ya, I'd jump in front of a train for ya!~" Draco chuckled, singing another song. He would of continued if it wasn't for the bottle of shampoo that was thrown at his head.

A few minutes later and the pair were making their way back to the gardens where Narcissa was waiting patiently for them, a bright smile on her face. Hermione politely smiled back, while Draco had to physically force himself to return the gesture.

"Draco, sarcasm is very unbecoming. Please remove that poor excuse of a smile from your face." Narcissa sighed, shaking her head when she saw the expression on his face. Sighing softly, Draco stopped forcing himself to smile and rolled his eyes. Damn woman.

"Oh Hermione, I'm so glad you're alright." Ginny smiled, gently hugging her friend.

"You worry too much Ginny, it's going to take more than a few bits of glass to stop me." Hermione stated, returning the hug and after a little while gently pulled away from her friend. "Hermione, there's probably someone we should introduce you to." Flora stated, then gestured for Cordelia to approach. The young woman did, keeping her head slightly lowered.

"This is Cordelia Lestrange, though you may have known her as Cordelia King at school. Remember the girl in Slytherin who suddenly disappeared without a trace? That was her. She's Bellatrix' daughter and she was taken prisoner by Penelope King and her husband. So were her parents, then Severus found them and helped them recover." Lavender explained.

"She's Draco's cousin, and she saved your life last night. She has premonitions, and she had a vision about you. If she hadn't come knocking on your door at three in the morning, Draco would never have woken up and that guy who attacked you would have taken you away." Pansy added. Hermione paused for a moment, taking all this new information in.

"I understand you're still hesitant about being around my Mother, and from what she's told me I can understand why. What Penelope did to you was awful, and the fact she used my Mother's appearance to do it just makes it even worse. So, I was hoping I could be the neutral between you two. Since you don't know me, maybe we can get to know each other and then after some time passes, maybe my Mother can come visit you while I'm around." Cordelia suggested.

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that Cordelia." Hermione smiled. She wasn't sure if it was just the good atmosphere that was surrounding her, but she felt like she was really going to get along with Draco's newly discovered cousin. There was just something about her.

"Alright, now we're all introduced, lets get going!" Pansy smiled, grabbing Hermione's hand and stared dragging her back to the Manor so they could use the Floo network to get back to her home. However, half way to the door, Pansy paused and glanced at Hermione's hand.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, nervous she'd done something wrong.

"You're engaged and he still hasn't got you a ring?" Pansy asked, looking quite appalled.

"Well, it wasn't really under normal circumstances, our engagement." Hermione shrugged.

"That's no excuse! Normal circumstances or not, you need a ring to let all those guys out there know that you're off the market!" Pansy scoffed, letting go of Hermione's hand and stormed back over to Draco. Hermione could only watch as Draco paled when Pansy started yelling.

"Don't worry, you get used to it." Daphne smiled, while Flora laughed her head off.

 **AN:** Hey guys, I'm sorry this chapter took so long to upload. I changed it and re-wrote it about seven times before I was finally happy with it, then before I could actually finished it something bad happened. Yesterday, my cat Cinders had to be put to sleep. She was quite an old cat, 14 almost 15, and she had a tumour that was the size of a golf ball. What she had couldn't be treated, and she was in a lot of pain so the kind thing to do was to let her rest. I've had her since I was small, and I still can't believe she's gone. I cried so much yesterday it was unreal, and I'm in that stage of grief now where everything is just numb. I still can't believe she's gone, but now she's not in pain and she's with her sister Polly, who died almost two years ago from something very similar. We think it may have been hereditary. Anyway, I may be a bit inactive or sloppy with my writing for the next few weeks, because I really miss my baby girl and I don't know how long it's going to take for me to come to terms she's not coming back. I'll try to keep writing, but I can't say it will be uploaded any time soon. Now, onto the **Featured** **Review** for the previous chapter.

 **Aimeesaoirse:** Another great chapter! As soon as I see the notifications when you update I'm straight on fanfic reading it, no matter where I am. You're such a talented writer, mixing the emotion and the humour all together. Please update again soon!

I can't tell you how much this review made me smile. I feel so honoured that you read my work as soon as you see the update. And for you to say I'm a talented writer means the world to me. That's all I've ever wanted to hear, and to actually have someone say it brings me so much joy. I'm sorry this update was late, and I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, and I hope you like the chapters that are to come in the future.

Until next time guys

TTFN

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	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

 _ **"War Heroine Hermione Granger, set to marry former Death Eater, Draco Malfoy."**_

 _In the years that have followed since the war ended, we have witnessed several couples finally tying the knot now that things have calmed down. A mere two years ago Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, proposed to and married Ginerva Weasley, the younger sister of Golden Trio Member; Ronald Weasley, who has been dating his old flame, Lavender Brown, for almost two years. This just left the final member of the famous three, Hermione Granger, to find someone to settle down with and our sources say she has done just that._

 _After meeting with an anonymous source, this reporter received first hand proof that Hermione Jean Granger is marrying former Death Eater Draco Lucius Malfoy at the end of the month. We at the Daily Prophet can only wonder what events led to this unusual couple getting together and why they have kept it a secret. Is it possible that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had a one night fling, which resulted in her getting pregnant? Is Draco Malfoy ashamed of his new consort, considering her blood status, and is that the reason why their relationship has been kept hidden from the public? At this very moment in time, the answers are not yet clear, but this reporter will not rest until all the details have been discovered._

 _Written by Rita Skeeter._

"Oh that low, blood sucking parasite!" Hermione hissed, throwing the paper across the room.

"Whoa, calm down Granger. You could have hit one of my families priceless heirlooms." Pansy scoffed, leaning back in her seat. Originally she'd thought it was a good idea to show Hermione the article, but now she was severely beginning to regret her actions. Draco was definitely going to kill her. She'd managed to finally get Hermione relaxed after a pleasant day at the spa, now the muggle born witch was stressed beyond believe. Yup, Pansy was definitely dead.

"Calm down?! How can I calm down?! How on earth does that leech know about me and Draco getting married?! Who told her?! And why does she keep repeating the whole Death Eater thing. That was a long time ago, people have forgive him! She didn't need to bring that up! Oh, when I get my hands on her she's going to regret the day she became a journalist!" Hermione snarled, pacing back and forth across the room. On the one hand, Pansy was quite shocked by how Hermione instantly defended Draco and not herself. There had been a speculation that she was pregnant, but her mind didn't even focus on the fact. Instead, she was more concerned about how Skeeter was labelling Draco. Maybe Granger was the right girl for Draco after all.

"Getting mad will just make things worse. She'll use that against you. The best thing you can do is let Lucius and Narcissa handle this. They'll soon put that bitch straight." Pansy shrugged.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Hermione protested, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well lucky for you we're not going to sit here and do nothing. We're going to sit here and talk so I can distract you from the article until Draco arrives to take you home." Pansy stated.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking home on my own." Hermione sighed then paused slightly when she realised she'd called the Manor home, she hadn't even been living there a week.

"Yes, I know. But Draco thinks its in your best interest if he's there with you just in case some reporters show up. Knowing you, you'd start screaming at them. He's a little bit more civilised and would probably handle the press better. He's had years of experience." Pansy explained. Sighing in defeat, Hermione sat back down on the sofa and leaned back, groaning in frustration. She'd never felt so useless in her life. But she knew Pansy was right. Going out there and facing those reporters would just make things ten times worse.

"So, a little birdie told me that Draco was your first kiss." Pansy smirked.

"I'm going to kill Flora." Hermione groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"She only told me because I asked if you two had kissed yet. After telling me about that, she then mentioned he'd already given you hickeys." Pansy added, a wicked grin on her face.

"Just kill me now." Hermione sighed, feeling the redness of her cheeks growing by each second.

"Oh please, it's not that bad. Surely you've done worse stuff." Pansy pointed out.

"I've gone out with two men Pansy, Viktor and Ron. Well, three if you count my night with Cormac at Slughorn's Christmas Party. That in itself was a huge mistake. And besides making out with them a few times, nothing else really happened. I didn't have the time. Viktor was busy with figuring out the trials during the Triwizard Tournament, Ron and I were too busy helping Harry save the world and then Cormac was just...gross. Besides, I was far too concerned with my studies, boys weren't my main priority." Hermione scoffed.

"So, you're still a virgin?" Pansy asked, raising an eye brow slightly.

"Yes, but, it's not a bad thing is it?" Hermione inquired, glancing over at Pansy.

"Bad? Please, if Lucius knew he'd be praising you for keeping yourself pure, probably even throw you a huge party to celebrate your virtue. Purity is a big things with the Malfoys. Originally, Draco was set to marry Astoria Greengrass, but when they found out she wasn't pure they ended that arrangement in the blink of an eye." Pansy stated.

"They're not the ones I'm worried about." Hermione mumbled, looking down slightly.

"You're worried about what Draco will think? Why?" Pansy asked in disbelief.

"Well, I don't know if it's the same for Wizard weddings, but typically when Muggles go on their honeymoons they, you know, consummate their marriage. Aren't guys normally put off when they find out a girl is a virgin?" Hermione shrugged. Smiling softly, Pansy moved over and sat down beside her, taking her hand softly and squeezed it.

"Yes, we have the same traditions as Muggle weddings. But trust me when I say this. He's not going to be put off. Families like the Malfoys raise their sons to respect women who are pure. He'll probably be really surprised actually, considering you spent a lot of time with Krum and Weasley. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, they didn't call him the Slytherin Sex God for nothing, he'll definitely give you a night you won't forget. Just make sure you hold on tight and don't let go." Pansy smirked, giggling when Hermione went as red as a tomato.

"Oh my god! Pansy, don't say things like that!" Hermione gasped, recoiling from the woman.

"Don't say things like what?" A voice suddenly asked, interrupting Pansy's giggling. Looking towards the door, Hermione almost died when she saw Draco standing there. He'd probably heard the whole thing, but was just acting innocent to save her from embarrassment.

"Oh nothing, we're just talking about all the nasty things she did with Krum." Pansy shrugged.

"Pansy!" Hermione screeched, hitting the black haired woman with a nearby pillow.

 **. . . . . . .**

Why they simply didn't apparate back, Hermione would never know. Instead, Draco had suggested they take a scenic walk back to the Manor, going through the woods that would lead them to the back of the Manor, where the reporters wouldn't think to wait for them. She agreed, knowing it would be better just to go with it than argue with her future husband. He could be a stubborn an arrogant prick at times, so no doubt she'd lose the battle.

"I take it you've seen the article Skeeter wrote?" Draco asked.

"Yes, and I wanted nothing more than to turn her into a cockroach and then squish her under my shoes. But Pansy convinced me to let your parents deal with it." Hermione sighed.

"And you listened to her? Bloody hell Granger, you two must be getting along." Draco scoffed.

"She's actually grown up a lot now. She apologised for her behaviour in Hogwarts, as did Daphne. We all had a really good time at the spa. I got to know your cousin a little bit, she's a very nice girl. But Ginny and Lavender had to go a bit earlier than expected. Cordelia and Flora decided to go spend some time getting to know each other after we were finished at the Spa, while Luna and Marianne had to go back to work. So, that just left me with Daphne and Pansy. We went back to Pansy's place, but Daphne had to leave. Something about meeting a possible suitor her parents had planned for her. In the end, Pansy and I just started talking." Hermione shrugged, recalling her day out with a smile. She was pleased she'd managed to get to know Pansy and Daphne outside of Hogwarts, and actually become friends with them.

"Mm, obviously. So, what exactly did you do with Krum?" Draco asked, raising a brow.

"Oh my god, Draco, you're not going to be a jealous fiancé now are you?" Hermione giggled.

"Well, with all this talk about seeing his butt and him having the body of an Olympian god, I can only speculate what has happened between you two." Draco shrugged.

"Oh please, he was busy with the Triwizard Tournament, we barely had time for anything besides making out. I only said that stuff to piss you off." Hermione stated, rolling her eyes.

She barely had time to comprehend Draco tackling her to the ground, pinning her down by sitting on top of her. All she could do was let out a yelp of surprise when she hit the ground.

"You only did it to piss me off?! Seriously Granger?!" Draco growled, irritation filling his eyes.

"T-To be fair, y-you deserved it for being a j-jerk..." She mumbled.

"You think that was being a jerk? You haven't seen nothing yet." Draco smirked, holding both of her wrists in one hand, pinning them above her head, while the other grabbed her shirt.

"Don't you even think about it! Draco Malfoy, I swear to god!" Hermione snapped, struggling furiously beneath him. Her efforts were futile, he was much stronger than she was.

"How about we make a deal? I won't make you compare me to a deity again, out in the middle of the woods, if you do something for me." Draco offered, grinning like a mad man.

"Draco please, s-someone could walk past and see us like this." Hermione pleaded.

"The sooner you agree, the sooner I'll get off." Draco chuckled.

"Fine! I agree, now get the hell off me before I break your nose, again!" Hermione groaned, fondly remembering the time during third year where she punched the foul git.

"No need to be so violent Granger." Draco smirked, slowly getting off her and gently pulled her up to her feet, helping her brush off the dirt that was now on her clothes.

"So what do I have to do?" Hermione sighed, folding her arms across her chest.  
"All you have to do, is not moan at me about how much it must have cost." Draco stated.

"What? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, looking at him with confusion.

"Pansy made a good point to me today before you left. This may not be a normal engagement, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't attempt to do it properly. So..." Draco started, then slowly got down on one knee, pulling a small black box out of his pocket.

"Draco, what are you doing?" Hermione whispered, struggling to get her voice any louder.

"I'm doing it properly. Even though we kind of have to get married, that still doesn't mean you shouldn't get a proposal from this perfect specimen." Draco shrugged, smirking slightly.  
"You're an idiot. A huge idiot." Hermione scoffed, barely containing her smile.

"I'm your idiot. Hermione Jean Granger, will you do me the honour of marrying me?" Draco asked, opening the small box to reveal a silver ring that had a ruby embedded in it, surrounded fully by many small diamonds. Even though she knew she wasn't allowed to moan about the cost, she was going to do it later anyway. It looked too bloody expensive!

"You know my answer, you said so yourself, we have to get married." Hermione pointed out.

"That doesn't matter, I want to hear you say it." Draco smiled. That was the moment when Hermione could no longer contain her smile, and after a brief pause she nodded.

"Yes. I'll marry you." She giggled, waiting until he'd stood up and slipped the ring on her finger before wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. While she knew they had to get married or their mothers would die, she was grateful that he was making an effort to put a bright side on it, and to make it romantic even if it was intended to ruin their lives.

Her heart fluttered slightly when she felt him wrap his arms around her waist. Each time he touched her, she felt like a stupid giggling school girl who had just seen her crush walk in.

"You're still going to moan at me about the price of the ring aren't you?" Draco asked.

"Obviously, but for now I'll let you have your moment." Hermione smiled, looking up at him.

"How very gracious of you, Granger." He chuckled, then gently pressed a kiss on her forehead. The two then walked home, hand in hand without running into any reporters. When they got back, Narcissa was the first one to greet them. She informed Hermione she'd had a good word with that 'harlot' Rita Skeeter and had been assured nothing would be published in the Daily Prophet unless consent was given from either Hermione or Draco. Having arrived back slightly earlier than planned, the pair retired back to Draco's bedroom so Hermione could wash before dinner. Or at least, she thought that was what was going to happen. What actually happened was much different. About half way through her bath, Hermione was interrupted when the sound of a door opening filled her ears. Her cheeks turned bright red as she watched Draco walking into the bathroom, sauntering in as if he owned the place. Well, he did but that was besides the point. He simply didn't care he'd walked in on her naked, while she was fuming.

"Draco get out!" Hermione yelled, hiding all but her head below the bubbles so her naked form remained concealed from his wondering eyes.

"Why? I haven't done anything wrong, and this is my bathroom too." He pointed out.

"I'm in the middle of a bath!" Hermione stated, glaring at him with eyes full of hate.

"And? I'm your fiancé, surely I get to see a bit of flesh." Draco shrugged. He instantly regretted his statement when a bar of soap was thrown in his direction, narrowly missing his eye.

"Get out before I hex you, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione growled. Noticing the serious look on her face, he obeyed her command and left the bathroom.

"I'll just say one thing before I shut the door. Those bubbles didn't hide very much." Draco smirked, then quickly closed the door before she could send a hex at him.

 **. . . . . . .**

"Oh my god, you must have done something really bad for her to do this." Flora giggled.

"Would you stop mocking me and just help me fix it?" Draco sighed. After closing the door, he thought he was safe from Hermione's wrath. Little did he know, she'd just managed to send a spell at him before the door was closed, and he hadn't noticed it until he'd run into his Father. The look he gave Draco made him run to the nearest mirror where he'd been horrified at the sight before him. His luscious pale blonde locks were now pure white and covered in various coloured polka dots. He looked like a bloody clown. Not wanting to face his Mother, he'd rushed to Flora's room in hope she would help him. However it had taken ten minutes for her to stop laughing before she agreed to get rid of the spell on his hair.

"Alright you big baby, What did you do this time?" Flora asked, swishing her wand a few times.

"I may or may have not walked in on her in the bath, and told her the bubbles didn't hide very much." Draco shrugged, then yelped when Flora slapped him on the cheek.  
"I'll kill you one day, if Hermione doesn't beat me to it that is." Flora scoffed.

"It wasn't that bad, I could have done a lot worse. I was half tempted to just strip and join her, but I didn't." Draco stated, rubbing his tender cheek which was now a dark shade of red.

"Oh my god Draco! I did not need to know that!" Flora groaned, turning away from him.

"Hey, what about my hair! I'm not walking around like this!" Draco snapped.

"It's fixed, check the mirror if you don't believe me. Just get out of my room, I don't want to hear any more about your sexual thoughts." Flora shuddered.

"Well, there was one time I thought about..." Draco started, but stopped when a book was thrown at him. Only just managing to duck, he ran out of the room as fast as he could. What was it with women and throwing dangerous objects at him? Sighing softly, he went to the dining room to join the rest of his family for dinner. Not long later, he'd finished and was in bed with Hermione, who currently had her back to him. Sighing, he wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk. If it makes you feel better, you can moan about the ring now." He whispered, smiling when he heard her giggle ever so slightly.

* * *

 **AN:** Hi guys, sorry this chapter took a little longer to finish than normal, and sorry it's a tad shorter than the previous chapter. I just figured this was a good spot to finish it on. Anyway, I'm back now and that's all the matters. Oh and thanks so much for 19,200 views and 201 followers. This is my most popular story on this account, and I'm so happy with how much response it has gotten! And the fact you all have stuck with me since the beginning and helped me improve it means the world to me. Moving onto the **Featured Review** for last chapter:

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	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

 _Day 7: 23 Days until the Wedding._

Hermione watched as Draco chased a small child around the living room, giggling softly when the child evaded him for a second time. It seemed as if the Malfoy family was growing. Severus had arrived at the Manor just a few hours ago with a young woman at his side. The woman had silver blonde hair which had been dyed blue at the tips. In her arms had been a small child, a little boy who had the same silver blonde hair as her. He didn't look much older than two. However, when Severus had explained who the woman and her child were, Hermione had been quite shocked to say the least. She would have never expected to hear those words. Everyone had been gathered in the living room so Severus would only have to explain once.

"I have been doing some investigating, and after calling in some favours I believe I have discovered the reason why you were attacked a few nights ago Miss Granger." Severus stated.

"What does this have to do with the woman you arrived with?" Draco asked, curious as ever.

"I will get to that Draco, if your patience can hold out for that long that is. As it turns out, the Dark Lord still has followers out there who have managed to evade capture. They have made themselves known as the Ichor Brotherhood and have sworn to destroy the Golden Trio, which includes yourself Miss Granger. Aurors have been placed around the Manor, and the homes of Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, to ensure your safety until they are captured." Snape explained, taking a sip of his tea after he'd finished talking.

"That still doesn't explain why she's here." Flora pointed out, her comment aimed at the silver haired woman sitting beside Severus who instantly looked down when she was mentioned.

"Impatience clearly runs in the family. I dread any children you have. This is Miss Delphini Riddle. As her name suggests, she is the oldest Daughter of Tom Riddle. She was born in secret between the Dark Lord and Bellatrix Lestrange when he blackmailed her into continuing his legacy should he fall. As Miss Granger is aware, the Dark Lord had a second child, Marianne Clearwater, but the Ichor Brotherhood is only aware of Miss Riddle's existence, and the existence of her son. There is a prophecy about the oldest child's first born, that he will have incredible abilities and unstoppable magic. The Ichor Brotherhood are trying to abduct the child, they want to train him of his magic and absorb it into their own bodies." Snape added.

"But, it's impossible to drain someone of their magic. You can disable it temporarily, but our magic is bound to our very soul. If they forcibly remove it, he'll die." Hermione stated in concern. The boy was only a child, he couldn't protect himself from the dangers out there.

"I am well aware Miss Granger, that is why Miss Riddle and her son will be staying here from now on. I trust you will all make her feel welcome. Now, I must bid you farewell, I have other matters to attend to." Severus sighed, then stood up and left without another word.

After some initial disapproval from Lucius, Delphini had been shown a room for both her and her son to stay in. After that, Draco had offered to look after her son while she freshened up and unpacked her belongings. Isaac, Dephini's son, had seemed all too keen to play chase with Draco and had pestered the man until he'd finally given in. Hermione couldn't help but contain a giggle as Draco fell to his knees and desperately tried to gather his breath.

"I...how...where does he get all his energy?" Draco asked, panting heavily as he spoke.

"He's a child. He's going to have an unlimited source of energy." Hermione smiled.

"Piggy back!" Isaac exclaimed in glee, then jumped onto Draco's back before he could have even thought to protest. The twenty year old wizard groaned in slight pain, then sighed softly.

"I now know how my Mother felt when I was this age." He muttered before standing up, holding onto Isaac to make sure the child didn't fall. Giggling softly, watched as Draco started running around the room, pretending to be a horse for some reason while Isaac ordered him to go faster. Moments later, Narcissa sat down next to Hermione and watched Draco as well.

"I have to admit, this is almost as entertaining as watching Lucius give Draco a piggy back when Draco was a child." Narcissa giggled, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her amusement. Smiling softly, Hermione continued to watch Draco play with Isaac. At least he was good with kids and hadn't ignored Isaac. God knows how the child would have reacted.

"Faster horsey! Faster!" Isaac laughed, gripping onto Draco's shoulders tightly.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I told him to be polite! You didn't have to do that!" Delphini suddenly gasped, rushing into the room and over to Draco, pulling young Isaac off his back.

"It's alright, I don't mind. I'm just going to need a moment to catch my breath." Draco chuckled, smiling softly at his cousin before ruffling Isaac's hair.

"Have you settled in, dear? You can ask Dusty or Mitzi for anything you need." Narcissa stated.

"Oh, they've already been so welcoming." Delphini smiled, sitting down on the sofa with Isaac.

"Well, be sure to let them know if you ever need anything, dear." Narcissa insisted.

"I-I will. Thank you, by the way, for letting me stay here. I know it's a bit of an inconvenience, and having a young child around will certainly make things a bit different for you all." Delphini mumbled, running a hand through her hair nervously as she spoke.

"It's quite alright, Delphini, you're family after all." Lucius suddenly spoke, making his presence known to the group as he entered the living room with a glass of whisky in his hand.

"Please, call me Delphi." She offered, giving Lucius a polite smile, knowing he hadn't been all that keen on her staying to begin with. He nodded in response before sitting down too.

 **. . . . . . . .**

"So, she's two years older than us, has a child and is the secret kid of Voldemort?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. Tom Riddle blackmailed Bellatrix into continuing his bloodline." Hermione confirmed.

"And these followers, the Ichor Brotherhood, they want to take Isaac for his powers?" Ginny added, gesturing over to the young boy who was playing with Harry and Draco in the garden.

"Apparently so, Snape said there's a prophecy about Isaac and that the Ichor Brotherhood seem to think his powers will help them in their mission." Hermione nodded.

"That poor little boy. He's only two and already he's been exposed to such cruelty." Lavender sighed, placing her chin in her palm as she watched Ron approach both Harry and Draco.

"So Delphi and Isaac are staying here until this is all sorted? Why isn't she staying with her Mother? Surely that would be better for her?" Ginny inquired, looking at Hermione.

"I guess it isn't safe for either of them there. Surely it will be the first place the Ichor Brotherhood will look for them. I'm just wondering if Marianne has been told about this, and Cordelia. I mean, I know they know about one another but now they have a half sister. Surely they have a right to know about her." Hermione pointed out.

"Well, it's like you said Hermione. Maybe it's not safe for them to know right now. You did say Snape mentioned the Ichor Brotherhood only knowing about Delphi. Marianne is the youngest daughter of Tom Riddle, if they knew about her she'd be in danger too." Luna shrugged.

"I guess you're right. I just think the longer it's kept a secret the more damage it will cause." Hermione sighed, looking behind her to watch as Draco was tackled to the ground by Harry and Isaac while Ronald looked as if he was going to wet himself from laughing so much.

"It seems like Draco's good with kids, huh?" Ginny smirked, nudging Hermione suggestively.

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked.

"I think why Ginny is implying is that he's good Father material." Lavender smiled.

"W-Wait a minute! It's a bit early to think about that isn't it?! We're not even married yet, w-whose to say I even want kids?!" Hermione stuttered, blushing like mad. Of course she wanted kids, she just never thought to have kids, she'd end up having to have them with Draco Malfoy.

"Oh come on Hermione, you love kids. I can't imagine you not having any." Ginny stated.

Before Hermione could have thought to respond, Flora suddenly sat down next to her and then fell backwards onto her lap, throwing her arms and feet up onto the air dramatically.

"I officially hate my life." She groaned, looking up at Hermione with big, sad eyes.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, concerned for her future sister in law's well being.

"The Malfoy Family has been invited to a big charity ball, but I have no date! No one to take as my plus one! You have Draco, Mother and Father will go together and I'll just be sitting there on my own like the loneliest person on the planet." Flora sighed.

"Girls, you know what this means? It's matchmaking time." Ginny smirked.

"Oh! Goodie! Who could we set her up with! There's so many decent guys out there!" Lavender smiled, biting her lip as she began to make a mental list of possible suitors.

"Whoa, slow down girls. As much as I appreciate the offer, I can't just take anyone. These things are black tie events, the best of the best and full of old rich guys wanting to show off their expenses. I need to take someone who would be able to put up to that, someone who is used to that kind of environment and wouldn't be intimidated." Flora explained.

"How about Theo?" Luna suggested casually, looking at Flora with a bright smile.

"Theo? You mean Theodore Nott? I-I couldn't. He doesn't even know I exist." Flora scoffed.

"Please, you're Draco's sister. Of course he knows you exist. Besides, I've caught him glancing over at you a couple of times." Ginny smirked, causing the blonde to blush brightly.

"So, it's decided. We're setting her up with Theodore Nott. Ooh! I can just picture their babies! They'll be so cute!" Lavender squealed, giggling as she clapped her hands together.

 **. . . . . . .**

It wasn't until some hours later that Hermione was finally able to get some peace and quiet. The sun had set below the horizon and she was walking down the empty halls gathering her thoughts. A new enemy had emerged, one that posed a real threat. If the Ichor Brotherhood were former members of the Dark Lord's followers, that meant they probably valued his ideals. If they were victorious, which she seriously doubted, it wouldn't stop with the defeat of the Golden Trio, they'd continue their crusade for a clean and pure Wizarding world. That meant there would be no place on earth that was safe for people like her, for Muggle borns. Her thoughts were interrupted when she walked past the room Delphi was staying in. A soft and gentle voice rippled though the air, gently soothing her worried thoughts. Gently leaning against the door, Hermione pressed her ear against the wood to hear the lyrics of the song.

" _Always standing in the same old lines_

 _Moving sideways to the march of time_

 _What might have been_

 _What might have been_

 _A portrait of my life_

 _No fool would say_

 _You live today_

 _Without a will to survive_." Her voice was almost angelic, floating all around the room. Smiling softly, Hermione slowly began to walk away as quietly as she could. Delphi was probably singing Isaac a lullaby to get him to sleep and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him. He was a very sweet little boy, but something told her he was one of those children who hardly slept, and were incredibly difficult to put to bed. She suspected Delphi didn't get much sleep. It made her think about being a parent herself. Was she truly capable of doing things like that? Surviving on a few hours of sleep at best, while maintaining a positive attitude so the child didn't get distressed or upset. She knew being a parent wasn't easy, she'd be stupid if she thought it was. But part of her dreaded being a Mother, she didn't want to mess it up. It wouldn't be just her life that could possibly be ruined by her actions. She'd be responsible for someone else, not just her. That tiny life would be in her hands, relying on her entirely. Before she could have continued to fret, she froze dead in her tracks when she arrived her bedroom door. The door was hanging off it's hinges, claw marks engraved into the wood. Looking into the darkness, she could see glass spread across the floor like stars decorating the night. Everything was silent, she could hear nothing except for the faint sound of someone breathing.

"Draco?" She called softly, slowly venturing into the unknown. There was no answer from him. It was then her heart started to beat faster and the panic started to spread through her body. What the hell had happened? Pulling out her wand, she cast a quick lumos to give her some light. The sight before her made her drop her wand in shock and horror. The walls were covered in scratch marks, blood splattered across the windows. Furniture had been broken, completely destroyed by something of incredible strength. But in all the chaos, there was no sign of Draco. She could still hear the breathing though, coming from the darkest corner.

"D-Draco? I-Is that you? T-Talk to me..." She pleaded, stepping closer to the corner.

"D-Don't come any closer...!" A voice suddenly snapped, slicing the silence with a knife.

Hermione stopped instantly, freezing on the spot. She slowly raised her hands up, showing she meant no harm, to try and suggest to whoever it was in the corner that she wasn't a threat.

"A-Alright. J-Just calm down, I'm not going to hurt you." Hermione said softly, slowly kneeling down onto the ground. She was trying to make herself seem as trusting as possible. She recognised the voice, but it was horse and wheezy. It was like it had been filtered, she couldn't quite put her finger on whose voice it was, she couldn't match a face to the sound.

"S-Stay back! I-I'll attack if you t-try anything...!" The voice stuttered, lacking all confidence.

"Now why do I not believe you? Listen, I promise that I'm not going to do anything. But there's blood on the floor, so I'm a bit worried about you. Are you hurt?" Hermione asked. There was a short pause before Hermione could hear shuffling, like the person was slowly standing up. She slowly rose to her feet, taking a step back to show whoever it was that she was merely getting up, and not planning to strike them down. About thirty seconds later, the person emerged from the darkness. Hermione's breath hitched in her throat. Standing before her, with four deep gashes on her stomach, was Cordelia. The young woman looked incredibly pale.

"I-I had a vision. T-There was a wolf...it was going to kill you and Draco...I-I had to do something..." She explained before collapsing to the ground. Hermione was instantly at her side, trying to contain the bleeding while desperately screaming out for help.

* * *

 **AN:** Wow. Can I first say how sorry I am for the delay. I'll just explain my absence quickly. A lot of stuff has happened to me in these past three months. First off, I am now in the first relationship I've had for nearly five years and currently it's kind of a long distance once so I've constantly been trying to see him as much as I can. Secondly I've had some health scares and issues which have taken up some time. (Several cases of passing out/collapsing) Also, Christmas is coming up so I'm VERY low on money so I've been working extra hours to try and gain some more money. Also, I've simply been struggling to pick this story up. But I'm back now. However, there might be a delay in chapters. What I'm now aiming to do is be four chapters ahead of each chapter I upload, so there's always a bunch of chapters stored away in case writers block hits me. So while I write these next four chapters, you may be waiting a little while. But I promise I'll try to be as quick as I can. Sorry this chapter was a little short, I tried to make it dramatic so you aren't as disappointed. Now onto the Featured Review for chapter twelve.

 **JLeep:** Just read all the chapters there are and already can't wait for more! It's so adorable and sweet.

 _ **Thank you so much for that lovely review! I'm so glad you were able to read through all the chapters and not get bored half way through. I hope I don't keep you waiting too long for the next chapter, because things are going to start getting dramatic now XD**_


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

 _Day 8: 22 Days until the Wedding._

Hermione watched as the healer tended to Cordelia's injuries. The Gryffindor knew enough about werewolves to establish that Cordelia would start to develop some lupine tendencies. A fondness for rare steaks would be one of them, as well as heightened senses. She'd know whenever there were other werewolves in the area, or if someone had lupine tendencies too. It would also mean that, like a Veela, she'd at some point find a mate, someone she was destined to be with for the rest of her life. Unfortunately for Cordelia, the four scars on her stomach would never fade. They'd be there permanently, serving as a constant reminder.

"Where is she? Where's my daughter?" A panicked voice suddenly demanded from behind her.

"Bellatrix, calm down. She's being tended to right now." Lucius' calm but stoic voice sighed.

"I want to see her! I need to know if she's alright!" Bellatrix exclaimed, clearly distressed.

"Miss Lestrange? I know this must be difficult for you but the best thing for you to do right now is sit down and remain calm. The Healer needs to stay focused while treating your daughter, and he can't do that if your back here making noise." Marianne suddenly stated.

Marianne Clearwater was one of the leading experts of Magical Creatures in the Wizarding World. She knew everything there was to know, and although Hermione was confident in her assessment that Cordelia had been attacked by a werewolf, she'd called in Marianne just in case. Luckily, Marianne had been able to treat the fresh wounds to make sure they wouldn't get infected before the healer arrived. After the healer had begun tending to Cordelia, Hermione had asked Mitzi to go and fetch Rodolphus and Bellatrix, feeling it was only right that they knew what was going on. However, she knew that there would be a fair chance they'd now run into Delphi, who was only a couple of doors down.

"Y-You're right. I-I'm sorry." Bellatrix whispered, running a hand through her hair.

"Come into the living room, I'll make you some tea." Marianne smiled, guiding the pair down the hall and away from the bedroom. Sighing in relief, Hermione turned her attention back to Cordelia, who was looking up at the ceiling while the healer tended to her wounds.

"Am I going to become a werewolf now?" Cordelia asked, dread filling her entire voice.

"No. People only inherit that gene if they're bitten during a full moon. Luckily for you, the moon tonight was crescent. You'll merely gain some lupine tendencies." The healer explained.

"So I'm not a danger to anyone?" Cordelia inquired, obviously worried about harming people.

"Well, you may become territorial if another werewolf, or someone like you, enters your territory. It's possible you will become agitated, but that's it." The healer added. Hermione watched as the relief flooded Cordelia's being and how she instantly relaxed. The poor girl had been more worried about whether she was a danger to others rather than worrying about what had happened to her. She wasn't fussing over herself, demanding sympathy. She was being probably the most selfless person Hermione had ever met in her entire life.

"I don't know if you'd want to, but my friend Bill was attacked by a werewolf. He developed lupine tendencies too, so if you wanted maybe I could talk to him and arrange a meeting for you two. He could answer any questions you have, tell you everything you need to know from a first hand account rather than a book." Hermione suggested, sitting down on the chair beside the bed. There was a short pause before Cordelia nodded, looking over at Hermione slowly.

"I think that might be a good idea. If I'm going to have live with this, it's probably best I learn from someone whose dealt with it and experienced what it's like." She muttered.

"I'll send him an owl now and see when the earliest he can visit is." Hermione stated, standing up and headed towards the door as quickly as she could. Before she could open it however, she was stopped by Cordelia's soft and weak voice ringing through the air.

"Thank you Hermione. I really appreciate this." Cordelia smiled. Hermione returned the gesture while giving Cordelia a soft nod before leaving the room and heading back to her own.

 **. . . . . . .**

After sending an owl to Bill, Hermione headed towards the living room where she knew everyone else would be waiting. The sight before her was a confusing mixture. One of happiness and disappointment. Bellatrix was sitting next to Delphi, hugging the young woman so tight Hermione was almost concerned the blonde haired girl would snap. Rodolphus had Isaac sitting on his lap, babbling at him incoherently while making the most ridiculous faces. Marianne was sitting opposite the four of them, drinking a cup of tea while absently looking around. From the tears on Bellatrix's face, it had obviously been an emotional reunion.

"I'm so happy your safe, Merlin knows I've been worrying about you every day since Tom took you away from me." Bellatrix sniffled, gently stroking Delphine's cheeks.

"I don't understand, why did he take me away from you? Didn't he love you?" Delphi asked.

"As much as it pains me to tell you this about your own father, Tom Riddle was not capable of love. He threatened to kill my husband if I did not continue his bloodline. Rodolphus was everything to me, so I carried out the Dark Lord's request and nine months later you were born. From the first time I saw you, I loved you. I never wanted to let you go, but he sent you into hiding just a few hours after I'd given birth. He never told me where you were. I spent all these years thinking the worse had happened." Bellatrix explained, her voice cracking slightly.

"When she told me what happened, I did everything I could to find you. But it was impossible. It was like you'd disappeared from the face of the earth." Rodolphus sighed, tearing himself away from Isaac to put his input into the conversation.

"I'm sorry my Father did such horrible things to your wife, Mr. Lestrange." Delphi muttered.

"There's no need for you to apologise. You've done nothing wrong. And you can call me Rodolphus. Hopefully one day, once you get to know me, I can be the Father you never had." Rodolphus smiled, offering a hand out to Delphi who shook it as soon as he offered it.

Hermione decided that was the right time to enter and sat down next to Marianne.  
"The Healer said Cordelia's going to be fine. She just needs to rest." Hermione announced.

"Oh thank Merlin. Do you mind if we go see her?" Bellatrix asked, looking at Delphi.

"Of course not. I'll see you later." Delphi nodded, watching as Bellatrix rushed out of the room.

"Time to go back to Mummy young man, but I will see you soon." Rodolphus smiled, passing Isaac back to Delphi before following Bellatrix out of the living room. There was a slight silence between the three young women before Delphi thought of something to say.

"So, how are we all related again?" Delphi asked, a confused expression covering her face.

"We're both your half sister. Cordelia was born to Bellatrix and Rodolphus, so she's related to you via Mother. I was born to Tom Riddle and Heather Clearwater, so I'm related to you via Father. But there's no connection between her and I." Marianne explained.

"I see. And Cordelia, she has the ability to see the future?" Delphi added.

"Not exactly, she can see a possible future, but it depends on the events beforehand if the future that she sees actually happens." Marianne pointed out, taking a sip of her tea.

"And using that ability she's saved my life more than once." Hermione stated.

"Why weren't we introduced sooner? I mean, they're my sisters." Delphi inquired.

"I personally wanted to, I thought the longer we kept it a secret then worse things would get. But it was made clear to me that the Ichor Brotherhood could use your sisters as leverage if they knew about them." Hermione explained, trying to explain the situation simply.

"I guess that's true. But I guess it's too late for that now, isn't it. I want to know everything about you both. I've spent my whole life wishing I had a sister, now I have two." Delphi smiled.

"I wish I could tell you more about Cordelia, but I haven't known her that long myself to be honest. I'm sure as soon as she's rested she'd loved to talk to you." Marianne stated.

 **. . . . . . .**

Later that evening, Hermione felt that she could finally relax. She'd eaten dinner with the Malfoys then retired to her room for the night. After collapsing on the bed, she'd heard Draco walk in before feeling the mattress shift beneath her from the addition of his weight.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, gently placing a hand on the very base of her spine.

"Guilty. Confused. Relieved. Worried. All that and more." Hermione sighed, moving her head to the side so she could look up at him. His hand moved up and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Sounds like you need to relax." He stated before moving so he was straddling her back.

"Draco, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, concern and worrying filling her eyes.

"Calm down, Princess, I'm just giving you a massage." He scoffed.

"Are you even qualified to give massages? There's several pressure points on the back that if pushed can cause massive damage. Do you know how to navigate around them?" Hermione demanded, sighing when he simply rolled his eyes and started rubbing her back. While she appreciated the gesture, she wasn't really keen on loosing feeling in her legs.

"Just close your eyes and stop thinking so much Granger." Draco instructed, recognising the way her brows furrowed when she thought about something too deeply. He smiled when she rolled her eyes but did as he requested. It didn't take long for her muscles to lose their tension and for her to let out a long relaxed sigh. To be fair, he'd massaged many a woman in his day, but it was normally to, well get in their underwear. This time was different. He was purely focused on helping Hermione relax. The poor woman looked like she needed it, and from the knots he could feel in her back, it definitely felt like she'd needed it for a long time.

"Draco?" Her voice whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts instantly.

"What is it Granger?" Draco asked, keeping his hands on her back while he rubbed gently.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I mean, it's only been just over a week and already so much has happened. My whole life has been turned upside down, yet you've helped me remain calm about it. You've been a rock for me just as I've been one for you. Merlin knows what would have happened if you'd been a stubborn ferret about the situation. I probably would have jumped out a window or something. It just means a lot to me that through all the chaos and confusion, you've stuck by me instead of leaving." Hermione mumbled softly. Should anyone have walked in during that moment, they would have seen Draco's wall be completely shattered. He honestly had no idea how to react. She'd caught him off guard, found him at a point where he had been exposed and tore away the front he normally put up.

"Granger..." He started, but was interrupted when she moved out from beneath him and sat in front of him, holding up a finger to silence him before he could continue.

"You're not a bad person Draco, not in the slightest. All those years ago when Harry, Ron and I were brought here, you knew who Harry was, but you didn't say anything. You could have handed him to the Dark Lord in the click of a finger, but you said nothing. You bought us time Draco, you saved us. So before you start saying that anyone would stand by me and support me through this ordeal, that it doesn't make you a good person, I'm going to stop you there. You are a good person Draco, you're an incredible human being capable of so many beautiful things. Don't you ever think for one moment your any less." Hermione whispered, putting a hand on his cheek before kissing his forehead. Draco, in that moment, was completely frozen. He had no clue how to respond to something like that. All his life, he had been born and bred to follow in his Father's footsteps, to become "evil". It was never something that he'd wanted, all he'd ever wanted was to be normal, go to school, make friends, pass his exams, fall in love.

Looking up at the woman before him, his heart stopped for a moment before resuming. It had been years since he'd felt it, but he knew what it mean. He was in love with Hermione Granger.

* * *

 **AN:** Hello everyone, I'd really appreciate it if you read this note. It's important, so if you skim past it you may be left with questions. First of all, I'd like to apologise in the delay of this chapter and other chapters from my other series. There's two reasons for this; the first is I have a new job now which requires me to travel quite a fair distance, the travel leaves me with very little money so I can't afford internet right now. Secondly, because of this new job I spend half the week at home and the other half living with my boyfriend. I don't want to risk taking my laptop up there through the city to get to his house in case it gets stolen on the way, so I can't bring it up there to use his internet. However, he and his friends are currently trying to fix my old laptop which I will be leaving up there, so if that goes well I'll be able to use that laptop to upload stuff while I'm there. I know last time I said I was going to try and write four chapters in advance, and to be honest I'm still trying to do that. Writer's block has hit me really hard, I'm not feeling inspired at all. Anyway, onto the next Featured Review!

 **BeauteousCupcake:** Loving this story. There's so many twists and turns and it's perfectly done. I'm thoroughly looking forward to more chapters and to see if you favourite couple make it to the chapel on time.

Special Mentions go to: **andherestograce,**

 _ **I want to thank you very much for this review, I'm glad that you think it's working and not just random little bits and bobs that have been put together trying to make sense. I do apologise for keeping you waiting for so long, and I hope I don't keep you waiting for too long. Also, thank you to "andherestograce", I know it's been a while since you posted your review, but thank you for your sympathies about my cat. I did really appreciate it.**_


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